Egg jellyfish
Cotylorhiza tuberculata
Special features
The Egg jellyfish not only looks like a morsel, it actually produces sugar.
Well, not she herself, but the zooxanthellae (algae) with which she lives in symbiosis.
In fact, her little friends are so important to her that she doesn't change from larva to meduse as long as her friends aren't around.
For zooxanthellae to be able to produce sugar and the medusa to store it as an energy source, they photosynthesize.
That is why she stays very close to the water's surface where the sun's rays can reach her skin.
Appearance
The Egg jellyfish looks spectacular: Like a mix of dancer, hat and, in fact, fried egg.
It has a central, smooth bell, which is hugged by a gutter-like ring.
At its bottom, it has eight central arms, which split into many smaller arms and end in purple slices.
Natural enemies
Turtles, fish, seabirds
Dangerous/Venomous
The Egg jellyfish is considered harmless and can only cause allergies in extremely sensitive people due to nettles.
Sketch
1. Gutter-like ring
2. Countless arms with purple ends
Pro tips
Throughout their lives, these sensitive beauties are easily injured by stormy tides or motorboats.
But surprisingly, they can heal their injuries themselves!
It mainly feeds on bacteria, which it catches with its arms, but also phyto- and zooplankton.
In summer, there is a veritable population bloom. The females are fertilized by the males' oral appendages and release a huge number of free-swimming larvae into the water.
Text: Carolina Leiter
Pic: Felician Hosp, Sabine Probst
Illustration: Dive Dict
