Range: Atlantic Ocean

Habitat: Water no deeper than 60 feet (20 m)

Size: Bell may be more than 3 feet (90 cm) long

Diet: Other jellyfish such as moon jellies

Threats: Fish and sea turtles

Lifespan: Years in their polyp stage

Transcript:

Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing pink meanies. Pink meanies are jellyfish, and they're some of the largest living in the Atlantic Ocean. Their bell can reach more than 3 feet (90 cm) across at their largest size and their oral arms may grow almost as long. Originally, these elusive creatures were believed to be related to the giant lion's mane jellyfish, however recent evidence points to them being more appropriately classified in their own family. There are at least a handful of pink meanie species and they live in isolated populations in the Mediterranean, Gulf of Mexico, and other parts of the Atlantic. These invertebrates are most commonly observed in water no deeper than 60 feet (20 m); that is, when they are seen.

Pink meanies are rare. They sometimes go years without human observation. This likely has something to do with their divided life cycle. The adult phase of a jellyfish is the phase we most commonly think of as the term "jellyfish." This is the medusa stage. The adults have separate sexes and release their sperm and eggs into the water column for fertilization. From these hatch tiny larvae that float through the ocean until they settle to the seafloor as a polyp. The polyp may remain there for years. It's in this phase most jellyfish spend a majority of their lives. When conditions are optimal, such as an abundance of food, the polyp produces clones of itself that detach and become the adult.

Pink meanie jellyfish are jellyfish eaters. Many observations of these cnidarians include descriptions of other jellyfish dangling half digested in the meanie's arms. On one occasion a pink meanie had 34 other jellies stuck in its four oral arms. Moon jellyfish are a common menu item for the pink meanie along with other easily captured floating jellies. Like their prey, pink meanies have stinging cells to help with capturing food. Scientists who have worked with them described the sting from a pink meanie as "not terrible," although I wouldn't touch one if you're trying to avoid any sort of discomfort. Of course, when all they're catching are other floating blobs in the water, they don't need a strong sting to subdue them.

Fascinatingly, the pink meanies' large size provides a home for small, young fish. It's not uncommon for these jellyfish to be followed by groups of juvenile fish using the underside of their bell for protection. While their predators are relatively unknown, pink meanies are likely eaten by the same animals that also eat other large jellyfish species, such as sea turtles. They're also vulnerable when they're in the planktonic larval stage when plenty of other large creatures such as fish happily gobble them up. Most adult pink meanies appear during the summer or early fall when other jellyfish populations are also at their height. The adults typically don't survive the winter. 

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