Rhizostoma pulmo

Rhizostoma pulmo (Macri, 1778)
Barrel jellyfish

photo by Pillon, Roberto

Family:	Rhizostomatidae ()
Max. size:	90 cm WD (male/unsexed)
Environment:	pelagic; marine; depth range 0 - 40 m
Distribution:	Mediterranean and Black Sea: from Alboran Sea to Libya in the Mediterranean, east to Russia and north to Ukraine, Black Sea.
Diagnosis:	Diameter of about 60 cm, exceptionally 90 cm. The sunshade is very bent, sometimes even higher than broad; the periphery is deprived of tentacles, replaced by approximately 80-90 lobes distributed on the entire circumference. One counts 8 very long oral; only braided arms towards their base; and comprising with milonguor of the appendices dermic in the cauliflower shape, while the ends smooth and are not ramified. Color: blue; yellow or pink milky; blue lobes ombrellaires with purple darker.
Biology:	Largest in the Mediterranean, is rather not very irritant: the cnidocytes are slightly poisonous and do not transpierce the human skin; there is thus no risk of lesion. Euryhaline species (Ref. 122857). Found in a river estuary (Ref. 122860) and coastal lagoons (Refs. 81044, 122857). Abundant inshore but also found offshore (Ref. 122861).
IUCN Red List Status:	Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. 123251)
Threat to humans:
Country info:

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