Atlantic Sea Nettle
Chrysaora quinquecirrha
The Atlantic sea nettle is considered a true jelly and uses their long tentacles to catch a variety of food from small fish to other jellies like ctenophores (comb jellies). They are smaller than their close relative, the Pacific sea nettle. Their seasonal appearance along the coastline sometimes causes beach closure due to their painful sting.
Originally published: May 13, 2015
Last updated: November 19, 2025
Credit: Aquarium of Pacific, Andrew Reitsma
SPECIES IN DETAIL
Atlantic Sea Nettle
Chrysaora quinquecirrha
CONSERVATION STATUS: Safe for Now
Geographic Distribution
East Coast of the United States
Habitat
These sea nettles are found in the high-salinity open ocean, the lower salinity of bays, and the brackish water of estuaries.
Physical Characteristics
The body (bell) of the Atlantic sea nettle is somewhat saucer-shaped and scalloped. Four thick, long, lacy oral arms hang and many thinner tentacles hang down from inside and are used to catch their food. The four gonads are heart-shaped.
Size
The bell of this jelly can be up to 40 cm (16 inches) in diameter. Its tentacles can be up to 2 ft long.
Diet
Atlantic sea nettles protect oyster populations by being a predator of comb jellies. Comb jellies eat the oyster larvae especially in their planktonic stage in the summer months.
Reproduction
The female jelly holds onto eggs with their oral arms and collects sperm released by the male jelly to fertilizes them. The eggs remain there until they become small larvae (planulae). They are released, free swimming in the ocean until they attach to a hard substrate. From here, the jelly enters an asexual stage, either budding off directly or making a stack of young jelly clones (ephyra) which break off to become individual jellies. These continue to grow into adults (medusa).
Behavior
Many trailing tentacles allow this jelly to sting and capture a large amount of food over a wide area. Large prey is partially digested on the oral arms before being transported to their stomach.
Adaptation
Atlantic sea nettles can live in brackish water in addition to ocean water.
Longevity
The Atlantic Sea Nettle lives for about a year.
Conservation
The Atlantic Sea Nettle population has not been evaluated by the IUCN. There is no current conservation projects for them. Their population numbers are cyclical and can be affected by changes in their environment like nutrient runoff or climate change.
Special Notes
In 2017, the Atlantic Sea Nettle was recognized as two separate species C. quinquecirrha and C. chesapeakei. The bay jelly (C. chesapeakei ) is one more commonly found in estuaries and smaller in size.
SPECIES IN DETAIL | Print full entry
Atlantic Sea Nettle
Chrysaora quinquecirrha
CONSERVATION STATUS: Safe for Now
East Coast of the United States
These sea nettles are found in the high-salinity open ocean, the lower salinity of bays, and the brackish water of estuaries.
The body (bell) of the Atlantic sea nettle is somewhat saucer-shaped and scalloped. Four thick, long, lacy oral arms hang and many thinner tentacles hang down from inside and are used to catch their food. The four gonads are heart-shaped.
The bell of this jelly can be up to 40 cm (16 inches) in diameter. Its tentacles can be up to 2 ft long.
Atlantic sea nettles protect oyster populations by being a predator of comb jellies. Comb jellies eat the oyster larvae especially in their planktonic stage in the summer months.
The female jelly holds onto eggs with their oral arms and collects sperm released by the male jelly to fertilizes them. The eggs remain there until they become small larvae (planulae). They are released, free swimming in the ocean until they attach to a hard substrate. From here, the jelly enters an asexual stage, either budding off directly or making a stack of young jelly clones (ephyra) which break off to become individual jellies. These continue to grow into adults (medusa).
Many trailing tentacles allow this jelly to sting and capture a large amount of food over a wide area. Large prey is partially digested on the oral arms before being transported to their stomach.
Atlantic sea nettles can live in brackish water in addition to ocean water.
The Atlantic Sea Nettle lives for about a year.
The Atlantic Sea Nettle population has not been evaluated by the IUCN. There is no current conservation projects for them. Their population numbers are cyclical and can be affected by changes in their environment like nutrient runoff or climate change.
In 2017, the Atlantic Sea Nettle was recognized as two separate species C. quinquecirrha and C. chesapeakei. The bay jelly (C. chesapeakei ) is one more commonly found in estuaries and smaller in size.