Head to head
Freshwater Jellyfish vs Compass Jellyfish
Freshwater Jellyfish
VS Compass Jellyfish
The freshwater jellyfish and the compass jellyfish are two jellyfish that appear in summer in large numbers, one in inland lakes and the other around the coast.
| Freshwater Jellyfish | Compass Jellyfish | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Craspedacusta sowerbii | Chrysaora hysoscella |
| Relationship | A jellyfish with a hidden polyp stage | A jellyfish that starts as a tiny polyp on the seabed |
| Size | A transparent bell about 2 cm across, with many fine tentacles | A pale, translucent bell, usually around 15 to 30 cm across, with 16 brown V-shaped lines |
| Habitat | Freshwater lakes, quarries, and reservoirs | Coastal and shelf seas of the north-eastern Atlantic, from Norway to the Mediterranean |
| Sting | Too weak to affect humans, so it is harmless to swimmers | Painful to people, though rarely dangerous |
| Diet | Tiny animals such as water fleas and other zooplankton | Small fish, plankton, and other jellyfish |
| Appearance | Appears suddenly in large numbers in warm summer water and then disappears | Appears in large numbers around Britain and Ireland in summer, and can be stranded on beaches by wind and tide |
| Origin and status | Native to the Yangtze River region of China, now on every continent except Antarctica, and Not Evaluated | Native to the north-eastern Atlantic, and Not Evaluated |
Freshwater Jellyfish vs Compass Jellyfish: common questions
Which jellyfish can sting people?
The compass jellyfish has a sting that is painful to people, whereas the freshwater jellyfish is harmless to swimmers.
Which one lives in lakes?
The freshwater jellyfish, a tiny jellyfish from China that now lives in lakes, quarries, and reservoirs around the world.
Why is it called a compass jellyfish?
Its pale bell is marked with 16 brown V-shaped lines that radiate out like the points of a compass.