The very first thing John and I did when we got to Boston was to become members of the New England Aquarium. Our annual membership fee contributes to public education, exhibit improvements and local conservation efforts. And, it allows us to go to the aquarium as many times as we want, all year long. This was really nice during the summer because the ferry from Boston to Salem is right next to the aquarium, which means we have a place to meander while we are waiting for boarding time.
This week we discovered the Jellyfish exhibit. For those of you who don’t know, Jellyfish are one of my favorite creatures. If you’d like to learn a little bit about them, check out this link about the New England Aquarium’s exhibit, and this fact sheet.
Jellyfish Polyps as seen through a magnifying glass
Moon Jellies (Aurelia aurita)
Australian Spotted Jellyfish (Phyllorhiza punctate)
Australian Spotted Jellyfish (Phyllorhiza punctate)
Japanese Sea Nettle
Leidy’s Comb Jelly a.k.a. The Sea Walnut (Mnemiopsis leidyi). These guys are really cool. Those colorful spots you see aren’t a reflection or camera glare, it’s bioluminescence. These jellies make their own light show!
Leidy’s Comb Jelly
Leidy’s Comb Jelly
Okay, these last two aren’t Jellyfish, but the were really putting on a show, so I had to include them ^.^
