Taxonomy
Chrysaora hysoscella | Smugairle an chompáis
Distribution
Status
Conservation status
Ireland: Not considered threatened.
Europe: Not considered threatened.
Global: Not considered threatened.
Legal status
Chrysaora hysoscella is not afforded legal protection in Ireland.
Native status
Resident
Species Biology
Identification
Key features:
- Large saucer-shaped bell, adults being 20 – 40 cm in bell diameter
- 16 brown V-shaped markings around a dark central spot
- 32 dark brown marginal lappets (patches on the edge of the bell known)
- 24 marginal tentacles, arranged symmetrically into 8 groups of three around the bell edge
- 4 frilled oral arms which are several times the length of the bell diameter
Habitat
The medusae inhabit coastal waters throughout the water column. Animals near the surface can dive towards the bottom if disturbed. The benthic polyps are found on hard substratum such as rocks but also man-made structures such as pontoons.
Source: Doyle et al., 2007; 2008
Life cycle
C. hysoscella reach sexual maturity in the summer. They are protandrous hermaphrodites, meaning they first develop male gonads and later develop female ones later. Eggs are fertilized in-situ in female medusae before they are released as free-swimming planulae. These attach to suitable substratum to form polyps called “scyphistoma”. The polyps strobilate and release free-swimming ephyrae which grow into medusae.
Source: Russell, 1970
Threats faced
This species is not considered threatened or endangered.
Source: Doyle et al., 2014
Distribution
World distribution(GBIF)
The compass jellyfish is found in coastal waters of the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, from Sweden in the north Atlantic as far south as South Africa and Argentina.
Source: Russell, 1970
Irish distribution
C. hysoscella can be found in inshore waters or stranded on beaches all around Ireland in summer and early autumn, and is typically more abundant on the west and southwestern coasts. Rarely occurs in the Irish Sea but there may be a local population in Dublin Bay.
Source: Doyle et al., 2007
Temporal change
Records submitted to Data Centre in 2024
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References
Publications
Doyle, T. K., Hays, G. C., Harrod, C., & Houghton, J. D. (2014). Ecological and societal benefits of jellyfish. In Jellyfish blooms (pp. 105-127). Springer Netherlands.
Doyle, T. K., Houghton, J. D., Buckley, S. M., Hays, G. C., & Davenport, J. (2007). The broad-scale distribution of five jellyfish species across a temperate coastal environment. Hydrobiologia, 579(1), 29-39.
Hays, G. C., Doyle, T. K., Houghton, J. D. R., Lilley, M. K. S., Metcalfe, J. D., Righton, D. (2008). Diving behaviour of jellyfish equipped with electronic tags. Journal of Plankton Research. Oxford University Press. 30 (3): 325–331.
Russell, F. S. (1970). The medusae of the British Isles (Vol. 2). CUP Archive.