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Looking for some inspirocean today? Drift away with these purple-striped jellies and sea where they take you.
Float like a jellyfish, sting like a… jellyfish? The long, trailing limbs of purple-striped jellies (Chrysaora colorata) may appear elegant and decorative—but the beauty of these lacy appendages disguises what are truly stupendous stinging structures.
Dangling below the jellies’ bells are thin, straight tentacles and frilly, pink oral arms (think of them as long fancy lips). Both tentacles and oral arms are covered in stinging cells called cnidocytes— if you look closely you’ll see them as tiny bumps peppering the oral arms.
Purple-striped jellies use these stinging cells to capture prey and to ward off predators—though they don’t deter leatherback turtles or ocean sunfish! They pack a punch for a person, so best not to touch—these captivating, mysterious and lovely roses certainly have their thorns.
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