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Like all summers we witness the “terrible proliferation of jellyfish” that scares us so much. Mediterranea Cassiopeia (Cotylorhiza tuberculata) (Mediterranean jellyfish, Mediterranean jelly or fried egg jellyfish) that we see in this video is a scifomedusa of the Cepheidae family, and is totally harmless. Medusa Cassiopea mediterranea Cotylorhiza tuberculata intotheblue.it
Mediterranean jellyfish or fried egg jellyfish – Cotylorhiza tuberculata intotheblue.it
Even if touched under the tentacles this jellyfish is not a danger for us swimmers, because it is absolutely not stinging like many other jellyfish.
Anyway contact with the tentacles can cause small pinches in some parts of the body for the most sensitive subjects, but as you can see it can be safely handled, but taking care not to rub your eyes once out of the sea.
Mediterranean jellyfish or fried egg jellyfish – Cotylorhiza tuberculata intotheblue.it
This is the typical jellyfish of the Mediterranean Sea is a native species and is not an invasive jellyfish species from who knows what other seas. It can also reach considerable dimensions but usually the adult jellyfish reach about 30 cm in diameter.
Cassiopea mediterranea Cotylorhiza tuberculata intotheblue.it
We remind you that jellyfish are an important piece of the food chain and are the food for a whole series of marine species from fish to sea turtles to dolphins and various cetaceans, so as we have said several times, collect the plastic from the sea and not the jellyfish; which unfortunately is really a danger for us and for marine species.
Cassiopea mediterranea Cotylorhiza tuberculata intotheblue.it
Mediterranean Cassiopeia or Fried Egg jellyfish (Cotylorhiza tuberculata Macri, 1778) is one of scifomedusa cepheidae family, common in the Mediterranean Sea. Cassiopea mediterranea Cotylorhiza tuberculata scifomedusa Cepheidae
Description
This species, which reaches 30 centimeters in diameter, with a characteristic umbrella white disc-shaped, with a round hump and yellow in the center (it looks like a fried egg). The margin is typically jagged, yellow or greenish sometimes for the presence of zooxanthellae. The species, like all those belonging to the class of rhizostomae, lacks tentacles, but rich in oral arms that branch off from the four lobes of the mouth, many of which are subtle and end with a little button blue / purple color.
Cassiopea mediterranea Cotylorhiza tuberculata intotheblue.it
Distribution and habitat
It is a pelagic species, endemic to the Mediterranean Sea, very common, particularly in the Adriatic from October to May.
Biology
In spite of its large size, this species is not stinging. Only the most sensitive individuals may incur in small pinches in contact with the arms. Typical the presence, in the vicinity of the same, small fish fry of the species Trachurus trachurus, Seriola dumerili, Caranx ronchus, Sarpa Salpa, Boops boops.
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotylorhiza_tuberculata
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotylorhiza_tuberculata
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