Wild Moon Jellies

[urbpan]

Yes, visitors to the Boston waterfront need only look down into the Harbor to see marine wildlife. When we recently visted, not only did we see many moon jellies, but also a three foot long fish of some kind (dunno what kind). I don't have a picture of the fish (which made the mallards up on the Harbor surface quite nervous) but I do have these shots of our urban jellies.







The harbor has been cleaned up quite a bit in recent years (in the late 80's, no less an authority on filth than John Lydon [formerly Johnny Rotten] called it "an open sewer"), but not as much as those pictures seem to indicate. I cleaned up the harbor in photoshop so that you could see the animal better. Here's the un-retouched version of the first picture:



cross-posted to invertebrates, why not?

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/purplebunnie_/]

Beautiful

I tried to find you a website of our annual "by the wind sailor" jellyfish that blanket Samoa and other beaches around here. They're goregous creatures. I don't belive these are local photos, but they share the idea
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/By-the-wind-sailor-2_ST.jpg
and
http://www.somersetbirder.fsnet.co.uk/by-the-wind-sailors2.jpg
http://www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/images/digital/velellastranding.jpg

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

That is a gorgeous animal. "Samoa and other beaches around here"? Are you not in Eureka California anymore, or is Samoa the name of a California beach?

[http://users.livejournal.com/purplebunnie_/]

Samoa is a Eurekain (sp?) beach. We've got a few with semi-famous names, including Moonstone and Agate.

[amazingrando.livejournal.com]

Oh oh oh added. I need more animal nerds on my flist :D

Check my last post. I'm trying to name my newest frogs.

[amazingrando.livejournal.com]

And hot damn, a Boston Critical Masser! You just keep getting better and better.

Giant fish and other oddities

[(Anonymous)]

Hello Jef! You probably don't remember me--I first met you when you were about 10 years old. A lifetime ago. Here's a big clue: Andy, Doc and the golden-haired sprogs came out to visit me at my little farm in northwestern Massachusetts yesterday. Anyway, the giant fish may be tarpon. They come up the east coast this time of year to feed in our northeastern estuaries. I have a great, true story about an encounter with tarpon in a New England river. And just to change gears, have you ever seen freshwater jellyfish (Craspedacusta sowerbyi)? I have, and I nearly fell out of my kayak in shock. For more about these and many other interesting topics, drop me an email. Andy has my email address. You and I have much to potentially talk about, grasshopper.

Re: Giant fish and other oddities

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Hey there! Do you prefer to be called Diane, or Thor? It sounds like you have a real nice place up there, with your sheep and llamas and cats and children's book illustrator and whatnot.

Not sure about the fish. I thought that tarpon was a tropical beast that Hemingway wannabees fought on rented boats. Fish are my biggest blind spot when it comes to New England fauna.

I was vaguely aware of there being freshwater jellies, but I've definitely never seen them! Now at least I've seen a picture: http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artnov99/fwjelly.html

My email address is pretty public hereabouts. Check out my profile, or just email me at jefctaylor@hotmail.com

p.s. I'm still a little guy, but I'm not skinny anymore.
For evidence, scan through my wife's journal: cottonmanifesto