Pelagia noctiluca (Forsskål, 1775)
Purplestriped jelly
Pelagia noctiluca
photo by Pillon, Roberto

Family:  Pelagiidae ()
Max. size:  9 cm WD (male/unsexed)
Environment:  pelagic; marine; depth range 0 - 1600 m
Distribution:  Indo-Pacific, Atlantic Ocean, and the Mediterranean.
Diagnosis:  Up to 6.5 cm wide; nematocyst warts on exumbrella very variable in size and number. Color very variable.
Biology:  Neritic, estuarine, potentially pathogenic (Ref. 116114). A holoplanktonic, oceanic and semi-cosmopolitan species (Ref. 19) inhabiting offshore warm waters (Ref. 813); non symbiotic but often appears in high numbers (Ref. 7694). Feeds on salps, doliolids, larvaceans, hydromedusae, ctenophores, chaetognaths, planktonic crustaceans and fish eggs (Ref. 2376).
IUCN Red List Status: Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. 123251)
Threat to humans: 
Country info:   
 

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