waterwereld

barrel jellyfish


This is a large jellyfish, that feeds on plancton: It has no stinging nettles, and gives no painful sting. They are the largest species of jellyfish in the Northsea and are most likely to be seen either washed up dead on beaches or swimming out in deeper water.

distribution and color of the barrel jellyfish


The barrel jellyfish can be found in the Northern Atlantic and Southern Atlantic, from the Northsea to the coast of Namibia and South-Africa. Also the in the Mediterranean Sea and Blacksea. Mostly this jellyfish has the color deep-blue, but the Mediterranean barrel jellyfish often comes in the color yellow.

barrel jellyfish


There a lot of small juvenile fish that seek protection between the eight arms of the barrel jellyfish.

enemies of the barrel jellyfish


It is a favourite food of the leatherback turtle. Ome of reasons of the exspansion of the barrel jellyfish is the removal of predator fish that keep the jellyfish population under control.


jellyfish of the Northsea.
Hayward, P. J. and Ryland, J. S. (Eds.) (1995).
Handbook of the Marine Fauna of North-West Europe.
1 mauve stinger or Pelagia noctiluca
2 compass jellyfish or Chrysaora hysoscella
3 barrel jellyfish or Rhizostoma pulmo
4 Blue jellyfish or Cyanea lamarckii
5 moon jellyfish or Aurelia aurita
6 lion's mane jellyfish or Cyanea capillata

barrel jellyfish increase


In some places of the world, the barrel jelly fish have proliferated strongly. This has been studied on the coast of Namibia. Here fishing was unregulated and sardines, anchovies and herrings were overexploited and have almost disappeared. They are replaced by even larger amount of the unedible barrel jellyfish. Both the called forage fish—sardines, anchovies and herrings and the barrel jellyfish feed on plancton.

jelly fish of the Northsea
Librairie J.-B, Baukkuere et Fils, 1906
1 Blue jellyfish or Cyanea lamarckii
2 compass jellyfish or Chrysaora hysoscella
3 barrel jellyfish
4 moon jellyfish or Aurelia auritis
5 Sea Goose or Pleurobrachia pileus
6 stalked yellyfish of Haliclystus octoradiatus