libutron: Crowned Jellyfish – Cephea cephea Cephea cephea is a…
Crowned Jellyfish – Cephea cephea
Cephea cephea is a true jellyfish (Scyphozoa – Rhizostomeae – Cepheidae) found in the Indo-Pacific and East Atlantic. It is a large jellyfish, reaching 50-60 cm in diameter, with multiple wart-like projections on top of the central mound of its bell, which is surrounded by a moat. The thin frilled skirt around the crown is used for swimming. Its main body is blue-purple, its eight oral arms are brown and highly divided into a large, curly-looking surface area resembling a cauliflower (hence this jellyfish’s other common name, Cauliflower Jellyfish). Multiple long colorless filaments with stinging cells for capturing prey trail behind as it swims.
Cephea cephea is targeted by the jellyfish fishing industry, especially during large blooms, and commonly and historically eaten as a delicacy or for medicinal purposes in China and Japan, along with multiple other species.
Photo credit: ©Tanaka Juuyoh | Locality: Mactan Cebu, Central Visayas, Philippines (2005)
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