Barrel Jellyfish [Rhizostoma pulmo]
Description
Also known as the Dustbin-lid jellyfish, it is one of the largest jellyfish found in the northeast Atlantic. It has a massive, barrel-shaped bell that can reach up to 90cm in diameter, and eight thick, frilled oral arms that hang down from the bell. Rather than the long, trailing tentacles seen in other jellyfish species, the Barrel Jellyfish's arms are equipped with numerous tiny mouth openings that catch plankton and small particles of food as the jellyfish moves through the water.
Taxonomy
| Phylum |
Jellyfish, Sea Anemones, and Relatives
Cnidaria
|
|---|---|
| Class |
True Jellyfish
Scyphozoa
|
| Order |
Tube Jellyfish
Rhizostomeae
|
| Family |
Root-Mouth Jellyfish
Rhizostomatidae
|
| Genus |
Barrel Jellyfish
Catostylus
|