Habitat 
Depth 
Group 
Role WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?
The barrel jellyfish carries a thick domed bell with a finely scalloped margin, often edged blue or violet. Eight oral lobes bear frilled branches, producing the cauliflower-like appearance beneath it. Numerous small openings replace a single simple central mouth. Long marginal tentacles typical of many other jellyfish are absent. Size and colour remain variable, so neither alone establishes identity.
WHERE DOES IT LIVE?
It occurs in coastal waters. It is found in the Mediterranean and Black Sea. It may also occur near lagoons. Its pulsations move it, but currents strongly influence its position and jellyfish gatherings.
WHAT DOES IT EAT?
Feeding draws on small zooplankton collected by the oral arms. Multiple ostia allow a large gelatinous body to exploit dispersed prey. Young fish may remain beside the bell, sometimes gaining shelter. This association is not automatically a feeding event. Proximity in an image must not become an unsupported predator–prey link.
GO FURTHER WITH AMIGANSEAU
Unlock the full profile
Deepen your knowledge with the exclusive chapters and interactive resources included in an AMIGANSEAU licence.
- HOW DOES IT REPRODUCE?
- OUR OBSERVATIONS
- ARTICLE
Also included in the full profile
- Advanced navigation between description, ecological context, observations and behaviour
- Interactive food chain to explore the species’ feeding relationships
