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This is a moon jellyfish

Its scientific name
is Aurelia

The genus was first described by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck in 1816

It can grow up to 40 cm in diameter

Jellyfish are one of the oldest multicellular lifeforms

They have existed for over 500 million years and predate dinosaurs

NEW TERRITORIESKOWLOONHONG KONGLANTAUTsing YiPeng ChauCheung ChauBeaufort IslandLamma IslandPo ToiBluff IslandBasalt IslandSai KungKauSai ChauTung Ping Chau

Moon Jellyfish
Aurelia

The translucent moon jellyfish is a common sight along the coastline of Hong Kong.

The species can be found in all of the world’s oceans.

Moon Jellyfish (aurelia)

Moon Jellyfish
Aurelia

Every July Aurelia shows up in large numbers in Hong Kong and stays through until September.

Despite being a common sight, there is much we don’t know about Aurelia. Recently the genus was split into 27 different species, with many not currently described. Even the identity of the species of Aurelia in Hong Kong is a mystery waiting to be solved.

Sea turtles love to eat Aurelia, even though jellyfish do not have much nutritional content. Because Aurelia blooms in large numbers and is relatively slow moving, turtles can consume several times their daily energy needs in jellyfish.

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Moon Jellyfish (aurelia) | Croucher Foundation