Video: Flower Hat Jelly Captures Zebrafish

Posted on August 20, 2011

Flower hat jellies (Olindias formosa) are found off the coast of Southern Japan, Brazil and Argentina. The jellies have stinging cells called nematocysts. The sting is painful to humans, but not fatal. The sting is also painful to the fish and crustaceans the flower hat jellies eat. The Monterey Bay Aquarium says the jelly can shrink itself when food is in short supply.

The flower hat jelly in this video from the New England Aquarium does not have to worry about food being in short supply. It is fed live zebrafish by the zookeepers. The video shows how the jelly is quickly able to capture and hold onto one of the helpless zebrafish dumped into its tank. Take a look:

OCEANS
JELLYFISH