Jellyfish

[megahurts]

Has anyone ever seen a fresh water jellyfish in a cave. Today our team saw what we believe to be a fresh water jellyfish at 140 ft. deep in a yet to be disclosed system. we researched the internet and the pic's we found do not look like the critter we saw. My partner spotted it and we both observed it up close and agreed it was a jelly. Any info?

[Line Squirrel]

Here is a good place to start.

http://www.tamug.edu/cavebiology/index2.html

You can email Tom Iliffe if you don't find what your looking for on his site. He is good at responding to questions.

Keep us updated, sounds interesting.

[Brian Kakuk]

Hi Mike,
I'm just wondering if your system is possibly near the coast and tidally influenced? We have caves here in the Bahamas that have entrances both inland and offshore that draw in jellyfish from the mangrove swamps on the tides. It's not uncommon here to see casiopia - "upside down mangrove jellyfish" - in the caves very far from the entrance. If yours is a totally land locked system and you have not dropped below a halocline into salt water, then all bets are off. I would contact Tom Morris as he knows a ton about Florida cave critters. Tom Iliffe is more of an anchialine (near ocean) system expert. Either one may be able to help. I would love to see a pic of this critter some time.

Take care Mike and safe diving,
Brian

[TerryK]

I know Bluestone Quarry in NC (http://www.dtmag.com/dive-usa/BlueSt...eResortNC.html) has freshwater jellyfish,
so it's not much of a stretch for a freshwater cave to have them too.

[fpsndiver]

Most quarries in NC have these freshwater jellyfish, its not just bluestone, no these quarries are not tidally influenced.

Here is a picture of one of em

that is a diver's gloved hand in the picture behind the jellyfish to give it some contrast

and another pic, this one not backed by diver's glove.



These jellyfish are pretty small. Above photos by NCDiver: Steve Campbell

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Freshwater jellies are common in AL quarries as well, I want to say even some of the lakes.?..

[Alan Garrett]

I've seen them here in Arkansas as well. They are by no means common, but they are around. We usually see them most often in the fall. I identified the critter as Craspedacusta sowerbii. Click this link for more info and pics to see if this is what you saw. http://www.jellyfish.iup.edu/

[Line Squirrel]

Dive club I used to dive with in Michigan years ago used to do an evening jellyfish dive every fall. I never went, I always thought they were pulling my leg!

[JDostal]

I've only ever seen them in a quarry here in Wisconsin. It's thought that the dormant form of them are transferred via birds. They only show up in late fall.