Aurelia labiata

Aurelia labiata is a species of moon jellyfish. It is a cnidarian in the family Ulmaridae. It is typically larger than Aurelia aurita,[1] with individuals document up to 45cm.[2] However much of its size range overlaps with A. aurita (up to 40cm), making size an imperfect diagnostic tool. Most Aurelia labiata have a 16-scalloped bell, meaning the bell indents inward at 16 points.[3]

Aurelia labiata
Aurelia labiata at the Vienna Zoo
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Cnidaria
Class:	Scyphozoa
Order:	Semaeostomeae
Family:	Ulmaridae
Genus:	Aurelia
Species:	A. labiata
Binomial name
Aurelia labiata Linnaeus, 1758

Aurelia labiata in the Vienna Zoo

Range

Moon Jelly at Monterey Bay Aquarium, California USA

Aurelia labiata typically range in the northern Pacific Ocean. Their range stretches from the west coast of California to the eastern coast of Japan.[4] They are known to swarm in large numbers, sometimes with their relatives Aurelia aurita.

Behavior

The Aurelia labiata have adaptive behaviors that include directional and vertical swimming. Directional swimming helps them escape from predators, approach to a food source, and swim through turbulence. Vertical swimming allows them to avoid rocky walls and low salinity. These behaviors come from their sensory receptors and nervous system that allows better mobility for their survival.[5]

Predators

Aurelia labiata are fed upon by other cnidarians such as Phacellophora camtschatica and Cyanea capillata. Like many jellyfish, they are also consumed by sea turtles which are immune to their stings.[6]

References

1. Gershwin, Lisa-Ann (2001). "Systematics and Biogeography of the Jellyfish Aurelia labiata (Cnidaria: Scyphozoa)". Biological Bulletin. 201 (1): 104–119. doi:10.2307/1543531. JSTOR 1543531. PMID 11526069. S2CID 33294412.
2. https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Aurelia_labiata/
3. Gershwin, Lisa-Ann (2001). "Systematics and Biogeography of the Jellyfish Aurelia labiata (Cnidaria: Scyphozoa)". Biological Bulletin. 201 (1): 104–119. doi:10.2307/1543531. JSTOR 1543531. PMID 11526069. S2CID 33294412.
4. "WoRMS database". Retrieved Aug 12, 2019.
5. Albert, David J. (2008). "Adaptive behaviours of the jellyfish Aurelia labiata in Roscoe Bay on the west coast of Canada". Journal of Sea Research. 59 (3): 198–201. Bibcode:2008JSR....59..198A. doi:10.1016/j.seares.2007.11.002.
6. Graham, T.R.; Harvey, J.T. (2010). "The acoustic identification and enumeration of scyphozoan jellyfish, prey for leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea), off central California". ICES Journal of Marine Science. 67 (8): 1739–1948. doi:10.1093/icesjms/fsq112.

Further reading

• Dawson, Michael N (2003). "Macro-morphological variation among cryptic species of the moon jellyfish, Aurelia (Cnidaria: Scyphozoa)". Marine Biology 143 (2): 369–379. doi:10.1007/s00227-003-1070-3.
• Arai, Mary Needler. A Functional Biology of Scyphozoa. London: Chapman and Hall. pp. 68–206.