Cabbage Head Jellyfish [Stomolophus meleagris]
Description
Also known as the cannonball jellyfish, the Cabbage Head Jellyfish is a species of jellyfish from the family Stomolophidae. It is typically found in the warmer waters of the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. This species is characterized by its dome-shaped bell that can reach a diameter of 25 cm. The color varies from a light yellow to a dark brown. The bell is usually surrounded by brown pigment bands. Unlike many other species of jellyfish, the Cabbage Head Jellyfish does not have tentacles. Instead, it has short, fringed oral arms that extend from the underside of the bell. It feeds by catching prey in mucus on the surface of its bell, then passing the food items to its oral arms with tiny hair-like cilia.
Taxonomy
| Phylum |
Jellyfish, Sea Anemones, and Relatives
Cnidaria
|
|---|---|
| Class |
True Jellyfish
Scyphozoa
|
| Order |
True Jellyfish
Semaeostomeae
|
| Family |
Root-Mouth Jellies
Rhizostomatidae
|
| Genus |
Cabbage Head Jellyfish
Stomolophus
|