The Upside Down Jellyfish at South Africa's National Zoo Do Not Sting

By Angeliné Cronje

Pretoria, South Africa - Four upside down jellyfish now call the National Zoological Gardens of South Africa home! The four invertebrates were received from uShaka Marine World in Durban as a donation.

Jellyfish have always been considered enigmatic creatures and in many cases, very little is known about them. Some are extremely poisonous, like the box jellyfish which is considered to be the most venomous creature on the planet. Its venom is enough to kill 60 humans in as little as three-minutes from just one of its multiple tentacles!

Upside jellyfish, however, are harmless and exceptionally beautiful and appear to look more like a plant than a jellyfish (the “umbrella part of their bodies is not visible). This creature has a unique method of feeding – in the tentacle region before one gets to the mouth there are layers of skin present called zooanthalle which causes these jellyfish to be photosynthetic. This allows them to make their own food from light energy!

Most jellyfish are believed to be hermaphroditic, meaning they are able to reproduce by themselves and has both male and female sex organs. A jellyfish also has no respiratory, circulatory or organs for excretion. It also lacks a well-developed head and nervous system.

Why not pay a visit to our Aquarium and visit our latest arrivals?

To view the National Zoological Gardens of South Africa's web page on Zoo and Aquarium Visitor, go to: http://www.zandavisitor.com/forumtopicdetail-2476-National_Zoological_Gardens_of_South_Africa