National Aquarium: Upside-Down Jelly (Cassiopea xamachana)
Did you know that, instead of swimming or floating, the upside-down jelly spends its life pulsing on its bell in shallow, sunlit water.
This jelly does not move or look like a typical jelly; in fact, it looks more like a flower blooming on the seafloor. Its bell is flat and shaped like a saucer. Coloration can vary, but upside-down jellies are typically greenish to gray-blue, and they have four pairs of elaborately branched but unfused oral arms.
Learn more about the upside-down jelly!
What are you looking for?
Organization
Website URL
Type of Resource
Assigned Categories
Resource k12
Did you know that, instead of swimming or floating, the upside-down jelly spends its life pulsing on its bell in shallow, sunlit water.
This jelly does not move or look like a typical jelly; in fact, it looks more like a flower blooming on the seafloor. Its bell is flat and shaped like a saucer. Coloration can vary, but upside-down jellies are typically greenish to gray-blue, and they have four pairs of elaborately branched but unfused oral arms.
Learn more about the upside-down jelly!