These fishes are one of the oldest known multicellular animals on our planet. These astonishing little beings do not have lungs, heart or brain as their skin is so thin that they can breathe right through it.
These wobbly little fishes are made of maximum water content. So much so that if they get washed up on the coast, and the water gets absorbed or evaporated then nothing will be left to identify it as a jellyfish.
There are around 200 types of jellyfish known to mankind but, not all gelatinous stuff in the water bodies are jellyfish.
Not all jellyfish are harmless. Most jellyfish do sting, and their stings can be dangerous. These jellyfish come in a lot of variety depending on their characteristic features.
Types of Jellyfish
The various types of Jelly Fish known are:
1) Lion’s Mane Jellyfish
These jellyfishes are usually large. They are so big that this is the largest known variety of jellyfishes. Their name is a description to their thick tentacles which resemble the mane of a lion.
2) Box Jellyfish
This is one of the most venomous varieties of the jellyfishes. They have a box-like structure, and that is where they get their name from. These are so poisonous that they can even leave to severe heart attacks in humans.
3) Flower Hat Jellyfish
The flower hat jellyfishes are as pretty as flowers. They have beautiful tentacles which are multi-colored. These are one of the small jellyfishes with only about a radius of 3 inches.
4) Golden Jellyfish
These jellyfishes are commonly seen in the salty sea water. Their dome and tentacle are both golden. The golden jellyfish is one of the rare jellyfish varieties which are actively in movement in their inhabited environment.
5) Diplulmaris Antarctica
This variety of jellyfish is an inhabitant of the cold Antarctic region. They have beautiful skin with orange tentacles and a pretty white belly.
6) Cauliflower Jellyfish
The bell of this fish has projections which look so strikingly similar to the florets of the cauliflower. This species is a favorite dish in Japan.
7) Crystal Jellyfish
These jellies have practically no color at all which gives them this transparent look almost resembling a crystal. They have around 150 tentacles.
8) Bloodybelly Jellyfish
These jellyfishes have hair like structures instead of tentacles which leave behind an array of light while these fishes move. Their red color also makes their presence very evident in the water bodies.
9) White Spotted Jellyfish
These fishes have a humongous appetite and are sometimes considered a threat to the native species of that particular region where these take shelter.
10) Black Sea Nettle
These fishes are fairly new for the experts as they are often only found in the wild and rarely are seen on the surface. As compared to other varieties they are huge.
11) Fried Egg Jellyfish
The light colored ring surrounding the stomach of this jellyfish gives a beautiful reflection of a fried egg from a certain angular view and thus, its name. They have a short lifespan as they give up on their lives as winters approach.
12) Breede River Jellyfish
These jellyfishes are only found in the particular river they are named after. They last only till winters and cannot bear the extreme cold of the winter season.
13) Atolla Jellyfish
The coronate medusa or the atolla jellyfish can emit light which actually distracts the predator and thus, saves these beautiful fishes from becoming easy prey.
14) Narcomedusae
This variety is also called the Darth Vader and has two stomachs. These jellyfish can grow inside their mother and can later cling on any type of jellyfish and take nourishment from their nutrition.
15) Porpita Porpita
This type of Jellyfish is also called Blue Button jellyfish. These fishes are a common species in the tropical aquamarine regions of Tropical Pacific and Atlantic along with the Indian Ocean region.
16) Crossota sp
This species was first found in the 2005 Arctic Exploration where its beauty and attractive red color lured the experts.
17) Blue Jellyfish
These jellyfishes are the main inhabitants of the Irish and the North Sea. These jellyfish have a skin which yellowish or bluish.
18) Purple Striped Jellyfish
These jellyfishes as the name suggests have pretty purple stripes in a radial pattern on them. They usually have some dark while some frilly tentacles.
19) Cannonball
The white bell-like structures under the cannonball-shaped body make the identification of these jellyfishes super easy. They are also called the cabbage head species.
20) Blue Blubber
This variety is often also called the jelly blubber. Its tentacles contain toxic poison and the same is used by it to stun the prey it wants to capture. These jellyfishes do leave a rash if they sting you but nothing more.
21) Cassiopea Jellyfish
The color of these jellyfishes varies from brown to blue and purple. They are usually found in the deep regions near the bed where they are calmly lying upside down.
22) Comb Jellyfish
Should they be on the list at all? Their name does say a yes, but they have a whole kingdom to themselves called the Ctenophora.
23) Moon Jellyfish
The moon jellyfish is the most readily available species of jellyfish. They usually have gonads in the shape of a horse, and for the movement, they rely on the water current due to their limited locomotive abilities.
24) Atlantic Sea Nettle
The Atlantic sea nettles have pretty brownish red stripes along their head. They usually sting and leave behind redness and rashes though the sting is not toxic.
25) Mauve Stinger
This jellyfish can glow. These do cause painful stings, but they have no toxicity. These jell fishes grow up to the size of a golf ball.
26) Irukandji Jellyfish
These jellyfish are tiny and are extremely toxic if they sting. The worst part is their inhabitant the regions with waters with a slightly warm temperature like the coastal regions.
27) Sea Wasp
These are the most dangerous type of jellyfish known. Their stings result in unbearable pain and if no treatment is provided within the first few minutes of the sting than the result can be fatal as well.
28) Immortal Jellyfish
A matter of curiosity among scientists is the mortality of these fishes. They revert to their juvenile stage as soon as they mature up to their sexual age.
29) Upside Down Jellyfish
These jellyfishes do possess certain poisonous toxins which might be painful if it stings you and can cause severe rashes as well. They are often thought to be sea Anemone due to their appearance which is much like an inverted jellyfish.
30) Pink Meanie
The pink meanie jellyfish feed on other jellyfish too. It is fairly young and was seen in 2005 where the experts again formed a separate phylum for them due to their distinctive characteristics.
31) Portuguese Man o’ war
These jellyfishes are intensely venomous at times and can lead to organ failure and be fatal. Though not always as they might just leave an itchy and painful rash.
Conclusion
To conclude you should always remember that jellyfishes are tiny and cute is just a myth, they can be magnanimous and venomous too. So be careful when you encounter one next time. Also, do visit a physician to make sure that the encounter is not much painful and toxic for your body.