Mangrove upsidedown jelly

Cassiopea xamachana

Family Cassiopeidae - jellyfishes

Distinguishing
Characteristics
Body is a gelatinous dome, saucer-shaped, has 4 pair of branched tentacles (arms) with leafy, ribbon-like appendages, 10-15 oral arms on alternate branches; jelly swims upsidedown with tenticles above the dome; color bluish dome with white striped markings (usually), but can be white, black, greenish, bluish gray or bluish green; no tentacles on margin of dome;
Similar Species
There are 2 species of upsidedown jellyifshes in the Gulf of Mexico. Cassiopea frondosa is usually yellowish to light green in color. The appendages on its arms are small leaf-like or paddle-like shaped.
Habitat
Bays and mangroves, shallow sandy or muddy bottoms
Maximum Size
25 cm (10 in)
Other Common Names
Previous Scientific Names
Comments
Photos courtesy of Andres Garcia,Coastal Fisheries Division, Lower Laguna Madre Ecosystem, Natural Resource Specialist III