What types of jellyfish occur in the Chesapeake Bay?
The jellyfish for which Chesapeake Bay is widely known in the summer is the Sea Nettle, Chrysaora quinquecirrha. It occurs from Cape Cod south along the U.S. East Coast, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, yet it abounds in Chesapeake Bay in numbers unequaled elsewhere. It occurs most abundantly in the tributaries of the middle Bay (salinities 10 – 20 ppt), where it is white in color. In the southern Bay, it often has red/maroon markings on the long central tentacles and on the swimming bell. The Moon Jelly, Aurelia aurita, with its very mild sting that poses not threat to swimmers, also occurs in the southern portion of the Chesapeake Bay during the summer. In the autumn, the Mushroom Cap Jellyfish, Rhopilema verrilli, may enter the Bay. The Cabbage Head or Cannonball Jellyfish, Stomolophus meleaqris, do not sting swimmers. The Lion’s Mane (Cyanea capillata) or Winter Jellyfish, is found in the Chesapeake Bay during the winter (January – April). For images and visual descriptions, please co
