Giant black sea nettle jellyfish have appeared along the California coastline, re-opening the debate about the origins of these strange creatures.
Recently sighted in San Diego Bay, these mysterious jellyfish, Chrysaora achlyo, first visited the West Coast back in the early 1900s, returning a few times over the course of the century.
In 1989 the enormous jellyfish arrived en masse to San Diego, and ever since the curious creatures have gravitated to the western shore every couple of years.
They are known for visiting a large chunk of the shore, drifting from San Diego down to Baja California in Mexico.
Despite their more frequent presence of late, researchers still struggle to understand basic characteristics about these animals.
One of the most tantalizing unanswered questions is, “Where do they come from?”
Scientists have a few hypotheses. Most likely is that warming waters are changing ocean currents, and, correspondingly, changing these animal’s travel itineraries.
The Golden State’s plankton-rich waters (compliments of man-made, nutrient-laden waste water draining into the ocean) add a delicious incentive for the jellyfish to linger there. These animals spend the majority of their short life cycles, which run from spring until the end of summer, grazing on plankton.
Now that the jellyfish are back in town, scientists will have plenty of opportunities to better study their behavior. Of course, anyone can enjoy watching these amazing creatures pulse through the water, but it's best to observe from afar. These jellyfish are infamous for their painful, although not lethal, stings.
Image: Jimg944, Flickr
Tags: Animals, Marine Life, Oceans, Weird News
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