Lion's Mane Jellyfish

Cyanea capillata

The lion's mane jellyfish is the largest known species of jellyfish. Its range is confined to the cold waters of the Arctic, northern Atlantic and northern Pacific Oceans, seldom found farther south than 42°N latitude. As a common species, the lion's mane jellyfish is well known to divers for its painful, potentially fatal stings; they are highly toxic and cause severe burns.

Lion's Mane jellyfish are highly variable in size.  Those found in warmer waters have bells averaging around about 50 centimeters (20 inches) in diameter.  They are much smaller than their far northern counterparts that are capable of attaining a bell diameter of 2.5 meters (8 feet). The tentacles of these larger specimens may trail as long as 30 meters (100 feet) or more. These extremely sticky tentacles are grouped into eight clusters, each cluster containing 65-150 tentacles, arranged in a series of rows.