Name: spotted jelly, lagoon jelly, golden medusa, and Papuan jellyfish. 1

Scientific name: Mastigias papua

Class: Scyphozoa

Description: They have spots on top of its bell with 8 frilled arms. The upper surfaces of these arms are covered in stinging cells called *cnidocytes. *Unlike the majority of jellyfish, Spotted jellies have mouths along the bottom of their arms. They vary in coloration from teal to green.2 The jelly average 10cm (4 in) in diameter but can grow as large as 30 cm (12 in). 3

Habitat: They rise near the surface during the day until the sun sets, then they sink further down into the ocean for the night.2

Threat: Mildly dangerous to humans.

Fun fact: These jellies have what’s called a zooxanthellae in their tissues, which is a photosynthetic alga. This causes them to be bright yellow, hence their name of Golden medusa. 3

Spotted jellyfish can be found in Pulau in large groups called “smacks”. The most famous spot to admire them is at Ongeim’l Tketau Lake in Pulau, also known as the Jellyfish lake. 4

Jellyfish Jellyfish

References

Footnotes

  1. https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Mastigias_papua/ ↩

  2. https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/animals-a-to-z/spotted-jelly ↩ ↩2

  3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mastigias_papua ↩ ↩2

  4. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/facts/jellyfish-lake ↩