Moon Jellyfish

Experience the beauty and wonder of fascinating jellyfish. The Moon Jellyfish (Aurelia aurita) also known as moon jellies, saucer jellyfish, or the common jellyfish. As its common name suggests, the Moon Jellyfish has a very large natural range and can be found near costal waters throughout the world's oceans. As such, the Moon Jellyfish can live in a variety of different water conditions as long as it is not exposed to sudden or abrupt changes. Though virtually translucent, the Moon Jellyfish is a wonder to behold thanks to its elegant lunar appearance and hypnotic pulsating method of locomotion. In addition to giving it an ephemeral appearance, the translucent body of the Moon Jellyfish lends itself to spectacular light effects especially colour-changing LED lights.

Because of its delicate body and slow-moving nature, the Moon Jellyfish should be housed in a marine aquarium dedicated to jellyfish. In fact, the ideal Moon Jellyfish setup should be a specialised "jellyfish aquarium" with curved or rounded corners. More importantly the water flow within the aquarium must have gentle circular laminar flow to keep the Moon Jellyfish suspended in the water column. Décor is unnecessary and is often harmful or detrimental as any rough or sharp edges can damage the Moon Jellyfish. In the wild, Moon Jellyfish can survive in warmer water temperatures but do best in cooler water temperatures. In the home aquarium, Moon Jellyfish are best kept at ambient room temperature. The installation of an aquarium water chiller may be necessary if live in a region that experience high temperature and do not have a HVAC (air conditioning) system.

Other special care requirements include the minimisation of air bubbles as air bubbles can get trapped in the jellyfish "bell" and compromise its ability to move and feed properly, or even cause serious harm. Similar to other invertebrates, the Moon Jellyfish is extremely intolerant of copper levels. Unlike many of its photosynthetic cousins, the Moon Jellyfish does not require special lighting conditions to satisfy its nutritional requirements. The Moon Jellyfish is an active predator that requires regular offerings of small meaty items, including baby brine shrimp (artemia nauplii), or neutrally-buoyant prepared food items suitable for fish fry or filter-feeding invertebrates.

Moon Jellyfish are best kept in an aquarium with a Salinity of 30ppt