Stay Eat Events Weather Beaches

All About the Moon Jelly on Oregon Coast: Surreal, Translucent

Published 11/18/2018 at 4:59 AM PDT
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

All About the Moon Jelly on Oregon Coast: Surreal, Translucent

(Oregon Coast) – There have been small reports of them around the Oregon coast, but it was Tiffany Boothe of Seaside Aquarium that really documented the find. An interesting species of jellyfish has been stranding along the coastline lately. And it's not that unusual. (All photos courtesy Boothe / Seaside Aquarium).

Latest Coastal Lodging News Alerts
In Seaside:
Includes exclusive listings; some specials in winter
In Cannon Beach:
Includes rentals not listed anywhere else
In Manzanita, Wheeler, Rockaway Beach:
Some specials for winter
In Pacific City, Oceanside:
Some specials for winter
In Lincoln City:
Some specials for winter
In Depoe Bay, Gleneden Beach:
Some specials for winter
In Newport:
Look for some specials
In Waldport
Some specials for winter
In Yachats, Florence
Some specials for winter

As Tiffany put it last week: “Look what the tide has brought in...moon jellies!”

They are known by the name Aurelia aurita, and they are boneless and brainless.

“This species of jellyfish ranges from Alaska to California, and is the proverbial ‘drifter,’ as it floats along wherever the ocean’s current takes it,” Boothe said. “They eat tiny marine life such as plankton and diatoms, which they pick up with the tiny hair-like tentacles that lace the outside edge of the jellyfish. Though they sting their prey, us large, thick-skinned humans cannot be harmed by this jelly.”

Like all invertebrates, they have no heart either. In the water, they are spread out in full form, with a bell on the top of the magnificent and surreal creature. Boothe said this species is unique among jellies because although they have those stinging cells, they can’t even be felt by humans.

Although quite common off the Oregon coast, moon jellies are more common in tropical waters. Yet they have a very wide range of temperature tolerances, from as low as 21 degrees up to nearly 90 degrees.

When moon jellies show up along the Oregon coast, they’re often around a foot in diameter. They can be smaller or larger. You may find dozens at a time or just a few here and there. However, they don’t show up in enormous numbers like those purple sailors (or velella velella as they’re mostly known). Those tinier creatures – vaguely related to a jellyfish – can show up in thousands at a time, causing a nasty stink if they’re left to dry in the sun.

Why do they show up? The ocean off the Oregon coast is simply a very dynamic place and things wash up all the time. Often with jellyfish it’s because the wind pushes them. According to the Seaside Aquarium, there was probably many of them out there when the winds took charge of their destiny.

The Aurelia aurita is one of about ten jellyfish that are very similar, and it’s often hard to tell them apart from each other.

Moon jellies are translucent, and with their limited movement capabilities only drift with the currents. They feed by stinging small plankton and mollusks with prickly little tentacles, then moving the their food into their body for digestion. They also feed on crustaceans, tunicate larvae, protozoans, diatoms, fish eggs and other similarly small organisms.

How they breathe is also a curiosity. Moon jellies do not have breathing organs such as gills or lungs, but instead diffuse oxygen from water through a thin membrane.

It’s not uncommon for either the Seaside Aquarium or the Oregon Coast Aquarium to have them on display. Oregon Coast Lodgings in this area - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours

Oregon Coast Lodging

 


Photo above taken by Haystack Rock Awareness Program. Below, more photos from Boothe and Seaside Aquarium.




More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging.....

More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining.....

 

Oregon Coast event or adventure you can't miss

 



Coastal Spotlight


LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles

Oregon Coast Hiking Hotspot Closes Briefly: Saddle Mountain Near Seaside, Hwy...
Closure from May 6 to 10, some lane closures on Hwy 26. Cannon Beach, Manzanita, Astoria
Killer Whale Sightings Making Big Splash on Oregon Coast - And It's the Apex ...
It's the same line of transient orcas involved in the whale kill in 2023. Marine sciences
Getting Oregon Coast Stays on the 'Lowdown' - Where Lincoln City Cut Rates
Excellent Lincoln City specials abound. Lincoln City hotel reviews
Destructive, Invasive Crab Found on N. Oregon Coast, Officials Ask Public's Help
Chinese mitten crab was found near Astoria. Marine sciences
Two Oregon Coast Gigs Bring Fiddle Virtuosos and a Local Composer to Newport
Milo Graamans on May 13 at a special benefit; Fiddle Express on May 16. Newport events
South Oregon Coast Landmark Under the Knife: Bandon's Face Rock Viewpoint Clo...
Set to reopen on May 23, parking lot and restroom closed, Depoe Bay, Cape Foulweather. Travel tips
Surprise Oregon Coast Accesses at Yachats' Northern, Outer Edges
Glorious discoveries include where Yachats changes from sand to rock. Travel tips
Washington Coast Gets Another Green Light for Razor Clamming, April 26 - May 3
Long Beach, Copalis, Twin Harbors and Mocrocks. Washington events

Back to Oregon Coast

Contact Advertise on BeachConnection.net
All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright BeachConnection.net Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted

Oregon Coast Lodging
Rentals
Specials

Dining

Events Calendar

Oregon Coast Weather

Travel News

Search for Oregon Coast Subjects, Articles

Virtual Tours, Maps
Deep Details