Head to head
Compass Jellyfish vs Moon Jellyfish
Compass Jellyfish
VS Moon Jellyfish
The compass jellyfish and moon jellyfish are two common, translucent jellyfish that drift around the coasts of northern Europe in summer.
| Compass Jellyfish | Moon Jellyfish | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Chrysaora hysoscella | Aurelia aurita |
| Bell | A pale, translucent bell, usually 15 to 30 cm across, marked with 16 brown V-shaped lines like a compass | A flat, translucent bell, usually 10 to 35 cm across, with four horseshoe-shaped gonads visible through the top |
| Feeding | Catches small fish, plankton, and other jellyfish with long, stinging tentacles and four frilly oral arms | Catches plankton, fish eggs and larvae, small crustaceans, and tiny jellies on a sheet of sticky mucus over the bell |
| Sting | Painful to people, though rarely dangerous | Mild, and most people feel nothing through the palm or arm, though it can irritate thin skin, lips, or eyes |
| Life cycle | Starts as a tiny polyp on the seabed, which buds off young jellyfish into the water | A tiny bottom-living polyp buds off stacks of baby jellies, and blooms form when conditions favour the polyps |
| Range | Coastal and shelf seas of the northeast Atlantic, from Norway and the North Sea south to the Mediterranean | Coastal and shelf seas nearly worldwide, from the tropics to near the poles |
| Sightings | Appears in large numbers around the coasts of Britain and Ireland in summer | Common in sheltered, nutrient-rich waters such as harbours, estuaries, and fjords, often near the surface |
| Conservation status | Not Evaluated globally | Not Evaluated globally |
Compass Jellyfish vs Moon Jellyfish: common questions
Which jellyfish has a mild sting?
The moon jellyfish, whose sting is mild enough that most people feel nothing through the palm or arm.
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.
Which one lives all over the world?
The moon jellyfish, which occurs in coastal and shelf seas nearly worldwide, from the tropics to near the poles.