Niche

Around the Globe

Cyanea capillata are found nearly world wide but with different locations come extreme variations in body structure.  The Lion's Mane jellyfish found in tropical regions are less plentiful and are much smaller.  A mere 15-20 cm across the bell, which may not seem that small to you, but when compared to their family members in the cooler regions of the world they are dwarfs.  The Lion's Mane are rarely found in the southern hemisphere.  Cyanea capillata are much more abundant above 42°N Latitude in the harsh arctic waters!  The Lion's mane needs to live in an environment with a relatively high salinity (salt content).  Even though the Lion's Mane is more successful around 20 meters under the ocean during the early stages of life, most 'migrate' to the surface (pelagic), of a sheltered bay as they age.  The Lion's Mane jellyfish's life span is approximately 1 year.  To learn more facts about the giant Lion's Mane jellyfish check out my Facts page.  Also check out another deadly organism under the sea, the crown of thorns star fish!

The pink region pertains to the region where the smaller Lion's Mane would be found close to the equator.  The unmarked region to the north of the pink area is where the larger populations and the larger size of Cyanea capillata are found.  The unmarked space on the bottom of the map is where they are typically not found in large numbers.  One location where you can always find Cyanea capillata in the south, is in Rosario, Argentina.  Which is a blue country in South America. Are you planning a vaction to Argentina to visit the Lion's Mane?  Check out the weather to see when you should go! 

 

 

 

 
Common Regions

The Lion's Mane are known to be very prominent on the coasts of Britain and Ireland! This map designates the regions that have recorded activity (purple dots) and expected activity  (light blue). This picture was obtained through Dr. Harvey Tyler-Walters on the Marlin website. In the picture to the right of this text, you can see where the Lion's Mane interacts with zooplankton around Long Island.  This location is represented by the gold rectangle in the middle of the map.  This image was obtained through Tom Andersen.  The zooplankton is not the only organism that the Lion's Mane jellyfish works with.  To see more interactions that Cyanea capillata has, visit my Interactions page! The largest Lion's Mane jellyfish, in an Aquarium (alive) is in the Hull Aquarium located in the U.K.  It was captured off the coast of Yorkshire. This particular jellyfish is nowhere near a match for the largest Lion's Mane recorded. 

 

 

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