Lion’s Mane Jelly (Cyanea capillata)

Description: Lion’s mane jellies typically have a red-brown bell but can also look yellow or pink. Sometimes they appear one solid color but others can appear with stripes or a different central vs outer color on the bell. They have many long tentacles that look bushy or shaggy in the water. Lion’s manes are the largest species of jelly in the world, typically around 50 cm across the bell, with tentacles around 3 m long, but they have been known to grow as large as 2.5 m across and 36 m long!

Habitat: They are most commonly found from Arctic waters down to Washington state, but also range down to southern California.

Diet: This large species feeds on small animals including zooplankton, crustaceans, fish, and other jellies.

Tide Pool Tidbits:

•  Several species of fish have developed a resistance to the sting of this jelly and have incorporated lion’s mane tentacles into their diets.

• Although considered a “giant jelly”, Lion’s manes are usually smaller when found on the Oregon Coast, whereas the largest individuals are found in Arctic waters.

• A Lion’s mane jelly was the featured murder weapon in a Sherlock Holmes story.

References: Monterey Bay Aquarium, The New Beachcomber’s Guide to the Pacific Northwest by J Duane Sept