A translucent brown to reddish jellyfish with a thick mane of hundreds of long hair-like tentacles; the oldest of which are coloured dark red. They have thick, frilled oral arms under the bell, most often brownish in colour.

Behaviour

It’s easy to see where the lion’s mane jellyfish gets its name from: the long flowing tentacles that surround the bell have all the beauty and bite of a lion. Up to 3m in length, these tentacles are packed with stinging cells and are used to catch their favourite prey: fish and other smaller jellyfish. Lion’s mane jellyfish give a very nasty sting, so consult a doctor if swelling or weals are severe. In the meantime, scrape the area with a clean stick or remove the tentacle with tweezers if you have them to hand, then rinse the area with warm to hot water to reduce swelling.

Size

Bell: Up to 50cm across

Status

Common.

Distribution

Found off all UK coasts in summer months.

When to see

May to October.

Facts

Fragments of the lion’s mane jellyfish’s tentacles will sting you even if they’re no longer attached to the jellyfish! They will still sting long after they’ve been on the shore.