Spotted Jellyfish
(Phyllorhiza punctata)

Description: This large sea jelly can reach a diameter of 60 cm and weigh up to 10 kg! The mushroom-shaped bell of this species is bluish-brown to creamy white in color and bears many evenly distributed opaque white spots. The underside of the bell bears eight stout feeding appendages.

Habitat: Warm temperate seas, often abundantly aggregated in nearshore waters.

Origin: Australia.

Invaded Areas: Abundant in the Gulf of Mexico; sightings in southern California, Hawaiian islands, Caribbean.

Concerns: In the Gulf, this invader has formed huge swarms in recent years. Each jelly can clear 50 cubic meters of water a day of suspended planktonic material, so dense aggregations can alter food webs in the water column. Gulf fisheries have been affected, because the jellies eat larval fish and compete with suspension feeding fish and shrimp for food, and because the jellies clog fishing nets. The attached polyp stage of this species, which buds off juvenile jellyfish, could be transported to our region on ship hulls.