Scientific name : Cassiopea xamachana
Family : Cassiopeidae (cassiopean jellyfish, 10 species)
Size : Up to 15 cm in diameter
Distribution : Caribbean and Brazilian coasts
Biology : The cassiopeid is a very unusual jellyfish, living turned over and resting on the sandy seabed. It feeds without too much effort by capturing the particles that fall between its arms.
Like corals, it harbours symbiotic algae to obtain energy from the sun.
It is capable of emitting “grenades”, clusters of stinging cells that burn predators from a distance.
IUCN status : Least concern
