Moon Jellyfishミズクラゲ

Aurelia coeruleaNE— Not Evaluated

The moon jellyfish is one of the most common jellyfish in Japanese waters and across the Pacific Rim, easily recognized by its translucent bell and four horseshoe-shaped gonads. Its sting is mild and rarely painful to humans, but the species is prone to massive population blooms in nutrient-rich harbors, sometimes clogging fishing nets and power plant water intakes.

Moon Jellyfish (reference photo)
Photo: Diego Delso / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Source / cropped

Species Data

Classification
Semaeostomeae / Ulmaridae Source
Distribution
Native to the seas around Japan, China, Korea, and California, as well as the Mediterranean and other temperate waters, and now established worldwide in artificial habitats such as harbors, marinas, and cooling ponds. Source

Did You Know?

  • Its stinging cells have short barbs that generally cannot penetrate human skin, so its sting is mild, usually causing only slight discomfort. Source
  • Its polyps have remarkable regenerative ability, capable of regrowing even after being finely minced. Source
  • The pulsing motion of its bell also functions like a pump, helping circulate fluid through its body. Source

Where to See This Species

9 facilities · 0 individuals

鶴岡市立加茂水族館 (Tsuruoka Shiritsu Kamo Suizokukan)YamagataJR鶴岡駅から庄内空港連絡バス湯野浜温泉行きで約40分、「加茂水族館」下車すぐ（善宝寺経由の便は停車しないため注意）。

名物の大水槽「クラゲドリームシアター」（直径5m）に約1万匹を展示。2026年4月にクラゲ100種展示体制でリニューアルオープン。 Source

かごしま水族館 (Kagoshima Suizokukan)Kagoshima鹿児島中央駅から市電（2系統）「水族館口」下車、徒歩8分。

かごしま水族館のWikipedia記事に飼育種として記載 Source

すみだ水族館 (Sumida Suizokukan)Tokyo東武スカイツリーライン「とうきょうスカイツリー」駅すぐ。

すみだ水族館のWikipedia記事に飼育種として記載 Source

のとじま臨海公園水族館 (Notojimarinkai Kouen Suizokukan)Ishikawa最寄り駅は和倉温泉駅。

のとじま臨海公園水族館のWikipedia記事に飼育種として記載 Source

マリンピア松島水族館 (Marinpiamatsushima Suizokukan)MiyagiOpened in 1927

マリンピア松島水族館のWikipedia記事に飼育種として記載 Source

Osaka Aquarium KaiyukanOsakaOpened in 1990

海遊館のWikipedia記事に飼育種として記載 Source

京都水族館 (Kyouto Suizokukan)KyotoJR「京都」駅中央口から徒歩約15分。

京都水族館のWikipedia記事に飼育種として記載 Source

長崎ペンギン水族館 (Nagasakipengin Suizokukan)NagasakiOpened in 2001

長崎ペンギン水族館のWikipedia記事に飼育種として記載 Source

Toba AquariumMieOpened in 1955

鳥羽水族館のWikipedia記事に飼育種として記載 Source

Latest news

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Conservation Story

Conservation Status

絶滅の心配はなく個体数は豊富で、むしろ富栄養化した内湾や港湾などの人工的な環境で大量発生しやすいことが問題視されている。大発生時には漁網を損傷させたり、発電所などの取水口を詰まらせたりする被害が報告されている。

Habitat

内湾や港湾、養殖用の生け簀周辺など、富栄養化しやすい人工的な水域にも定着しやすい。

Sources

ja.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

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FAQ

Is the moon jellyfish dangerous to humans?
No, its stinging cells have barbs too short to penetrate human skin, so its sting is mild and usually just mildly irritating. Source
Why do moon jellyfish sometimes appear in huge numbers?
They thrive in nutrient-rich, artificial environments like harbors and marinas, which can trigger large population blooms that clog fishing nets and cooling water intakes at power plants. Source
What do moon jellyfish eat?
They feed mainly on zooplankton, occasionally taking small fish larvae, mollusk larvae, and even other jellyfish. Source

Source: kamo-kurage.jp www.nikkei.com masukoap.com