The Jellies

The Exhibit

Behind the Scenes

+ A Jellyfish Laboratory

A Jellyfish Laboratory

Our aquarists grow many of the jellies you see on exhibit. It takes
about four months of constant care to cultivate these spotted jellies.

Size: diameter to 5.5 in. (14-16 cm)

+ Wrangling

Wrangling

Instead of nets, which can damage fragile
tissue, aquarists use soft-sided containers
to move animals like this upside-down jelly.

Size: diameter to 12 in. (30 cm)

+ Far-Out Life

Far-Out Life

Some jellies start out as tiny
polyps. When conditions are
right, they split into tiny
discs and each one pops off to
become a new jelly, smaller
than a grain of rice.

+ Feeding

Feeding

It takes precision and patience to feed these delicate animals.
Aquarists carefully squirt bulb basters full of food and water
toward a jelly's sticky tentacles. This moon jelly has fine
fringe that helps funnel food into its mouth and clearly
visible stomach pouches.

Size: diameter to 15 in. (38 cm)

+ Tiny Gardeners

Tiny Gardeners

These growing Mediterranean
jellies require fresh sea water
and lots of light. They feed
mainly on plankton, but also
host symbiotic algae that
produce food by photosynthesis.

+ A New Frontier

A New Frontier

Jellyfish science is a relatively new field. We're always learning
more about how to grow and exhibit animals like these spectacular
Mediterranean jellies

Size: diameter to 13 in. (33 cm)

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