Lion's Mane Jellyfish (Cyanea capillata)

Overview

• One of the largest known species of jellyfish.
• Found in cold, boreal waters of the Arctic, northern Atlantic, and northern Pacific Oceans.
• Common in the English Channel, Irish Sea, North Sea, and western Scandinavian waters.
• Cannot breed in the low salinity of the southwestern Baltic Sea.
• Largest recorded specimen had a bell diameter of 210 cm and tentacles 36.6 m long.

Scientific Classification

• Domain: Eukaryota
• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Cnidaria
• Class: Scyphozoa
• Order: Semaeostomeae
• Family: Cyaneidae
• Genus: Cyanea
• Species: C. capillata
• Binomial Name: Cyanea capillata

Other Names

• Arctic red jellyfish
• Hair jelly
• Snottie
• Sea blubber
• Giant jellyfish

Physical Characteristics

• Named for its trailing tentacles resembling a lion's mane.
• Varies in size, with northern specimens larger than those in lower latitudes.
• Bell diameter can exceed 2 meters; typically 50 cm in lower latitudes.
• Juveniles are lighter in color; adults are red and darken with age.
• Bell divided into eight lobes, resembling an eight-point star.
• Tentacles: approximately 1,200 in total.
• Longest tentacles can reach 36.6 m.

Behavior and Ecology

• Primarily found near the surface, up to 20 m deep.
• Relies on ocean currents for movement; spotted in late summer and autumn.
• Solitary creatures, rarely travel in groups.
• Captures prey like fish, zooplankton, and other jellyfish using stinging tentacles.

Reproduction

• Capable of both sexual and asexual reproduction.
• Lifecycle includes a larval stage, a polyp stage, an ephyrae stage, and then maturation to medusa.
• Eggs carried in tentacles grow into larvae and develop into polyps on hard surfaces.
• Polyps reproduce asexually, producing ephyrae which mature into jellyfish.

Human Interaction

• Stings cause temporary pain and redness; not fatal under normal circumstances.
• Vinegar can deactivate stingers; medical attention recommended for extensive stings.
• Not typically dangerous to humans unless stung over large areas.

Myths and Cultural References

• Incorrectly claimed as the longest animal (a bootlace worm may hold this title).
• Featured in "The Adventure of the Lion's Mane" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Predators

• Juveniles preyed upon by seabirds, larger fish, and sea turtles.
• Leatherback sea turtles consume them extensively in Eastern Canada during summer.

Notable Incidents

• July 2010: 150 beachgoers stung by remains of a lion's mane jellyfish in New Hampshire.

Images and Models

• Life-sized models available in museums such as the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.

References

• Various scientific studies and articles have been cited.