Marbled Jelly

As this jelly grows, its bell becomes flat like a dish that can grow up to nearly twelve inches in diameter, but the average is approximately nine inches. They are translucent with a dark edging around the base of their bell and can sometimes have a pale brownish marbling on the bell. Young crabs use the inside of their bell as a nursery. They lack long marginal tentacles and instead have complex oral arm structures. The marbled jelly has eight oral arms, with those reaching five to nine inches in length. Marbled jellies feed on zooplankton and larger ones may eat shrimp and even other jellies. They can be found in shallow waters off the east coasts of South America and in estuaries in that region. This species of sea jelly often becomes stranded on beaches.