Upside-down jelly
Cassiopea xamachana
Where at Shedd?
Wild Reef
| Diet | Zooplankton and symbiotic zooxanthellae |
|---|---|
| Size | Diameter: average 11.8 inches (30 cm) |
| Type | Jellies |
| Range | West-central Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico |
| Habitat | Lagoons, seagrass beds and mangroves |
Did you know?
Upside-down jellies receive many of their nutrients from algae located along their oral arms. The algae grow in the jellies’ tissues along the arms, exposed to the sun as the jellies lie upside down on the seafloor. As they pulse their bells, the jellies push very small sea animals called zooplankton toward their mouth openings.
Like most other jellies, upside-down jellies have nematocysts — stinging cells that offer them a means of defense and a way to kill prey.
The genus derives its name from the mythological queen Cassiopeia. When Cassiopeia died, the gods elevated her to become a constellation but, because of her vanity, she was placed so high in the northern sky that she would be upside-down half of the year.