A seasonal tide

A seasonal tide
Field Notes
No. 08
Moon jelly
29th June 2026
At a glance
SpeciesMoon Jellyfish
Latin nameAurelia aurita
FamilyUlmaridae
SizeDiameter 5–40cm
HabitatCoastal waters worldwide; the most common jellyfish in UK seas
Key facts
  • Recognisable by four horseshoe-shaped gonads visible through the translucent bell
  • Its sting is too weak to penetrate human skin — safe to see washed up on the beach
  • 95% water, with no brain, blood or heart

No brain, blood or heart but four reproductive organs. Some might say that they know people like this.

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