Lion's Mane Jellyfish

ocean · giant jellyfish · cold water

Absolutely Enormous. The lion's mane jellyfish is one of the largest jellyfish species in the world. The biggest one ever recorded had a bell (the umbrella-shaped body) as wide as a car and tentacles stretching 120 feet long, longer than three school buses parked end to end.

Arctic Wanderer. These jellyfish live in the freezing cold waters of the Arctic and northern oceans around Greenland, Scandinavia, and northern North America. They prefer chilly water and rarely drift into warmer seas, though climate change is causing some to wander into new territories.

Drifting Giants. Lion's mane jellyfish float through the ocean currents without swimming, letting the water carry them wherever it goes. Their long, trailing tentacles are covered in stinging cells that catch tiny fish and plankton for food.

Historic Discovery. The most famous lion's mane jellyfish was found off the coast of Massachusetts in 1865 and remains the largest one ever measured by scientists. Similar giant jellyfish also live in the cold waters near Australia and New Zealand on the other side of the world.