Invertebrates
Compass Jellyfish
Chrysaora hysoscella
Off the Cornish coast on a calm July day, a compass jellyfish drifts just below the surface, the brown V-shapes on its pale bell radiating like the face of a compass.
Overview
The compass jellyfish, Chrysaora hysoscella, is a Not Evaluated jellyfish of coastal and shelf seas in the northeast Atlantic, from Norway and the North Sea south to the Mediterranean. Its compass-like markings and summer abundance make it one of the best-known jellyfish of European waters.
A jellyfish with a pattern
The brown lines on the bell run from the centre to the edge, and each marks a canal that carries food around the animal’s body.
Status
Not Evaluated globally, though common and sometimes abundant.
Compass Jellyfish: common questions
Why is it called the compass jellyfish?
It is named for the 16 brown V-shaped lines on its bell, which radiate out like the points of a compass.
Does the compass jellyfish sting?
Yes, it has a sting that is painful to people, though it is rarely dangerous.
When can you see compass jellyfish?
They appear in large numbers around the coasts of Britain and Ireland in summer, and can be stranded on beaches by wind and tide.
Where is the compass jellyfish found?
It lives in coastal and shelf seas of the northeast Atlantic, from Norway and the North Sea south to the Mediterranean.