The stranded lion’s mane jellyfish is shaped like a volcano, with a pink-red jelly-like body, drawing the attention of sailors.
The Dickinsons family stumbled upon the bizarre pink spherical volcano-like object on September 17 while walking along Pakiri Beach in north Auckland, New Zealand, according to Science Alert. Experts have identified this as a jellyfish named lion’s mane jellyfish, with a fragmented white body on the outside and a pink-red inside like flexible jelly.
“Jellyfish are everywhere and we were very excited. We saw this big jellyfish, it looked different from everyone else around,” said Eve Dickinson. “We spent a lot of time looking at it because of its beautiful color and shape. My son said the jellyfish reminded him of a volcano.”
The lion’s mane jellyfish (Cyanea capillata), also known as the giant jellyfish or hairy jellyfish, is most recognizable when it floats in water. Under its mushroom-shaped head are many long, thin filaments forming tentacles. But when he washed up on shore, his body collapsed, making him look like an alien. The Dickinsons also saw the jellyfish twitch. “It looks like a group of muscles contracting,” said Adam, Eve’s husband.
The lion’s mane jellyfish is the largest known jellyfish and lives all over the world, from the Arctic to Australia and New Zealand. They are usually around 50cm wide. The largest specimen ever discovered by researchers washed up in Massachusetts Bay in 1870 with a diameter of 2.3 meters.
Diana Macpherson, a marine biologist at the New Zealand National Institute for Water and Atmospheric Research, says lion’s mane jellyfish are quite common around the islands, but appear less frequently at the end of Winter. “They usually appear in the spring and summer when the plankton start to bloom,” Macpherson said.
“They swing all the lures at the same time. Each tentacle swing to catch the bait. They can find a lot of food through multitasking,” said Lisa-Ann Gershwin, a marine biologist in the Department of Marine Biology. Agency.
Lion’s mane jellyfish like to eat plankton and other jellyfish. When they float in water, they chase food with their tentacles. They also act as oases for small fish and shrimp immune to the venom, specializing in consuming what is left of jellyfish. Maned jellyfish are food for large fish and sea turtles such as leatherback turtles. Experts advise people not to touch lion’s mane jellyfish washed up on the beach because even if the sting doesn’t cause serious damage, it can still hurt you.
