Freshwater Jellyfish

The scientific name for a freshwater jellyfish is a long one. They are called Craspedacusta Sowerbii, and they are a different type of jellyfish when compared to their marine counterparts. On a freshwater jellyfish, there is a thin and membrane-like structure that extends inward from the bell of the jellyfish.

The manubrium then ends in a mouth, and this is one feature that makes a freshwater jellyfish different from the many other species found in the seas and oceans of the world. These types of jellyfish are small compared to their many counterparts. When fully grown, they only amount to the size of a quarter, with an umbrella shape.

Of course, they still have the stringy tentacles attached to themselves. These tentacles hold hundreds of cells that are used to catch paralyze and kill their prey. This freshwater jellyfish is typically translucent. It will have a tinge of white or green to its body. A jellyfish has what is called gonads, which are large and flat sex organs hanging from them.

The difference in freshwater jellyfish and their salt-water counterparts is their location. Instead of the ocean, these jellyfish are found in calmer waters, such as lakes, reservoirs, recreational boating areas as well as fishing holes. The big difference here is that these types of jellyfish do not like fast moving water and will seek out standing water to live in.

This type of jellyfish dines on small, microscopic animals that are called zooplankton. These are also found in the water around them. Freshwater jellyfish do have the same sort of stinging cells on their tentacles as their salt-water counterparts. However, there is no evidence that they can penetrate human skin at this time. There hasnt been too much time dedicated to looking into it further either.

To see freshwater jellyfish, it is best to wait for late summer and early fall. These jellyfish can be seen floating gently to the top of the water, or even swimming around. If they are spotted in large quantities together, this is called a bloom of jellyfish. Looking for freshwater jellyfish on a warm and bright day is the best time to spot them, although their appearance is sporadic at best.