Phacellophora camtschatica

fried egg jellyfish

Photo: Rebel Rob

Photo: Caters

Cotylorhiza tuberculata

fried egg jellyfish

Photo: Flickr user spearfish

Photo: unknown

fried egg jellyfish

Photo: T.Friedrich

fried egg jellyfish, Cotylorhiza tuberculata

Photo: guokr.com

Photo: Scfotos, Stuart Crump Visuals

Habitat: Phacellophora – cool waters around the world
Cotylorhiza – warm waters; Mediterranean, Adriatic, and Aegean Seas
Status: No conservation concerns

There are two species that hold the whimsical title of “Fried Egg Jellyfish”: Phacellophora camtschatica and Cotylorhiza tuberculata though the two are quite different from each other in all aspects beside appearance.

Photo: Caters

Phacellophora camtschatica is a huge jelly that prefers colder waters. It’s bell can reach up to 2 ft across and its dozens of tentacles reach over 20 ft long! If you don’t think this floating egg creature looks very menacing, you’d be right. It has a very weak sting and many small crustaceans take advantage of the jelly by riding on its bell (breakfast to go…?) while snatching up extra food.

fried egg jellyfish, Cotylorhiza tuberculata

Photo: mishanche

Cotylorhiza tuberculata is a much smaller jellyfish that hangs out in warmer waters. It only reaches about 35 cm in diameter, so don’t go for this Fried Egg Jelly if you want a big breakfast. Unlike most jellyfish, C. tuberculata can swim on its own, without relying on the currents for movement. It’s sting (if you can even call it that) is so feeble that it has very little to no effect on humans at all. I mean, it does look like a breakfast food, after all… how powerful could it be?