The jellies documented below, with the exception of Nanomia bijuga (a siphonophore) belong to the sub-class discomedusa or hydromedusa — gelatinous animals with tentacles that are all too often referred to as “jellyfish.” Though I have provided some anecdotal and descriptive information that should be helpful in identifying these more commonly seen species, there seems to be no better document than that written by C.E. Mills et al. In their publication “Cnidaria”** they provide exceptional illustrations, photo documentation, keys and descriptions. Click on the photos below and you will be taken to other images and information about that species. Ctenophores (Comb Jellies) have their own page.
**This is an electronic version of the entire Chapter 10, Cnidaria, published in Light and Smith’s Manual: Intertidal Invertebrates of the Central California Coast. Fourth Edition (J.T. Carlton, editor), Berkeley: University of California Press, 2007.
