✨ Have you ever seen this species of jellyfish? It is the Mediterranean Cassiopeia (Cotylorhiza tuberculata)!
👀 Also called the “fried egg jellyfish” because of the peculiar shape of its umbrella, this animal is used to appear in Ligurian waters in late summer
🌍 A typical Mediterranean species, this jellyfish is not stinging! It has no tentacles, but arms that characterize the lower part of the body
❕Warning though! Despite their completely harmless nature, it is best not to handle these animals, either in water or on land; this may in fact damage them irreversibly!
🤿 During our snorkeling trips it is not uncommon to come across the Cassiopeia, and it is an annual occurrence with great joy
🤔 Fun fact: Did you know that the little blue buttons at the end of the arms are like the “eyes” of the Cotylorhiza? They are eye spots, and although they are not evolved eyes like ours, they can make this jellyfish perceive light changes in its surroundings!
