The lion’s mane jellyfish is the world’s largest jellyfish. It is usually found in colder oceans like the Arctic, northern Atlantic, and northern Pacific Oceans. The lion’s mane jellyfish gets its name from its tentacles which resemble the mane of a lion. These tentacles grow up to a size of three metres and are packed with stinging cells. They are used to catch their favourite fish, smaller jellyfish and zooplankton.
It is interesting to watch a lion’s mane jellyfish catch its prey. At first, it delivers a sting loaded with neurotoxins and when the prey is immobilized, it is moved to its mouth using specialized tentacles called oral arms.
Scientific research has suggested that jellyfish actually thrive in areas that are affected by human activity. Overfishing, climate change and pollution have helped promote more jellyfish swarms by reducing their main predators and competitors and increasing their prey.
Picture Credit : Google