Cassiopea andromeda

Cassiopea andromeda
Specimen at the Cologne Zoo
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Cnidaria
Class: Scyphozoa
Order: Rhizostomeae
Family: Cassiopeidae
Genus: Cassiopea
Species:
C. andromeda
Binomial name
Cassiopea andromeda
Forskål, 1775
Synonyms
  • Cassiopea andromeda var. malayensis Maas, 1903
  • Cassiopea depressa subsp. picta Vanhöffen, 1888
  • Cassiopea picta Vanhöffen, 1888
  • Cassiopea polypoides Keller, 1883
  • Medusa andromeda Forskål, 1775

Cassiopea andromeda is one of many cnidarian species called the upside-down jellyfish. It usually lives in intertidal sand or mudflats, shallow lagoons, and around mangroves. This jellyfish, often mistaken for a sea anemone, usually keeps its mouth facing upward. Its yellow-brown bell, which has white or pale streaks and spots, pulsates to run water through its arms for respiration and to gather food.