Habitat

     Cassiopea xamachana, like any other organism, lives in a unique habitat that helps it succeed. It just so happens that these well-suited habitats are found globally (Holland et al. 2004). Even so, a majority of the upside-down jellyfish are found in the Caribbean Sea (McGill et al. 2008), which is located between Mexico, the Caribbean Islands, and northern South America.      After World War II, United States naval ships transported and introduced the organism to the Hawaiian Islands (Holland et al. 2004). Like most marine life, Cassiopea xamachana like to stay in close proximity to the equator. This is where the maximum amount of sunlight is found year round, which makes it the warmest place to call home (Holland et al. 2004).

     The upside-down jellyfish are found dwelling in the benthic zone, which is the bottom of any water source- along the surface of the sediment. The shallow waters of the benthic zone are where they can bask in the sunlight, they are protected from predators, and the water is calm (Holland et al. 2004). They will rest on the bell of their body presenting their arms towards the rays from the sun. Their lifestyle is much like that of other organisms that reside in the benthic area (Santhanakrishnan et al. 2012). One of these attributes includes being semi sessile, meaning that they rarely swim. Because they are semi sessile, it is best not to remove them from their habitat. A small amount of flow or velocity in the water is needed to bring them nutrients (Santhanakrishnan et al. 2012). This makes it vital that they live in nutrient rich ecosystems. The upside-down jellyfish can create their own flows in the water with their arms (Santhanakrishnan et al. 2012). Despite them being generally sessile creatures, they are actually skilled swimmers. The jellyfish and their progeny can travel by means of larval dispersal, migration, and even rafting (Holland et al. 2004).

      Cassiopea xamachana are more likely to be found in waters that are close to the shore than they are in a marine ecosystem. An example of a shallow environment where one might find Cassiopea xamachana is a mangrove dominated habitat that grows along the coastal sediment (Holland et al. 2004). The mangrove leaves that have fallen into the water play a large role in the reproduction of the upside-down jellyfish. Cassiopea xamachana’s common name of “mangrove jellyfish” comes from being found so frequently in the mangrove habitat (Holland et al. 2004).  A mangrove habitat can have a sandy mudflat, which during low tide has a few inches of water, never becoming totally dry. Sandy mudflats are a favorite place to call home among the inshore marine waters for Cassiopea xamachana because the water is usually clear. Clear, shallow water allows the dinoflagellates living on Cassiopea to do photosynthesis; this is how the upside-down jellyfish get their energy. This is why the best spot to search for the upside-down jellyfish is in shallow, tropical, sandy mudflats (Holland et al. 2004). Corals are another great place to look for Cassiopea xamachana because the coral are symbiotic organisms. The coral provides food and protection from predators for the upside-down jellyfish.  While resting on its bell among the coral, Cassiopea xamachana looks like it is part of the coral (Thornhill et al. 2006).