Chrysaora pacifica, commonly named the Japanese sea nettle, is a jellyfish in the family Pelagiidae.
Description The medusae of C. pacifica typically has a bell with a diameter of . The bell is divided into 8 sections with the outer exumbrella being finely granulated with 32 reddish colored radial stripes. The inner mesoglea of the bell is translucent and thickest in the central portion, thinning around the edges.
The central mouth of the jelly has 4 oral arms that are 2-3 times longer than the diameter of the bell. These delicate, curtain-like arms have finely fringed margins covered in nematocyst warts. Along the margin of the bell are 40 tentacles that are elastic and grow to be a similar length to the oral arms.
Distribution C. pacifica is found across the northwest Pacific Ocean, including Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and China. The sea nettle was formerly confused with the larger and more northerly distributed C. melanaster. As a consequence, individuals kept in public aquariums have often been mislabeled as C. melanaster. Within C. pacifica's range, it surivives the best in water temperatures 20-24°C.
Biology If the jellyfish sustained injuries, they would go through the process of symmetrization, in which they would restructure their figures by moving around existing parts and not recreating the ones lost to maintain balance.
C. pacifica's sting is strong and can be dangerous to humans.
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