Cassiopea andromeda | |
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Specimen at the Cologne Zoo | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Cnidaria |
Class: | Scyphozoa |
Order: | Rhizostomeae |
Family: | Cassiopeidae |
Genus: | Cassiopea |
Species: | C. andromeda
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Binomial name | |
Cassiopea andromeda Forskål, 1775
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Synonyms | |
Cassiopea andromeda is one of many cnidarian species called the upside-down jellyfish. It usually lives in intertidal sand or mudflats, shallow lagoons, and around mangroves. This jellyfish, often mistaken for a sea anemone, usually keeps its mouth facing upward. Its yellow-brown bell, which has white or pale streaks and spots, pulsates to run water through its arms for respiration and to gather food.