The Aquarium of the Pacific will Saturday open “Jelly Dreamscapes,” an immersive exhibition featuring hundreds of sea jellies and what is billed as one of the most diverse collections of the creatures in the United States.
Aquarium officials said the exhibition features species never before displayed at the facility, including barrel jellies and California sea gooseberries, along with sea nettles and other glowing ctenophores from habitats around the world.
The jellies on display hail from regions including North America, Japan, Fiji and more. Visitors will not only have the chance to view the jellies, but they will be able to touch Asian moon jellies at an outdoor “touch lab.” The exhibit will also provide information on how the aquarium staffers care for the creatures.
Aquarium officials said the facility has been able to raise more than 40 species of jellies in spaces “specially designed for each stage of their life cycle.” The facility also grows the food that jellies need to survive, mirroring what they would eat in the wild.
“Our animal care staff monitors habitat lighting, water temperature, salinity, pH, and more to ensure that these delicate creatures are appropriately cared for,” Nate Jaros, the aquarium’s vice president of animal care, fish and invertebrates, said in a statement. “They work hard behind the scenes to meet each species’ specific needs.”
The exhibit will also include a short film about sea jellies and their role in ocean ecosystems.
According to the aquarium, the exhibition is intended to highlight both the beauty of the creatures and what they can reveal about the changing health of oceans worldwide.
“These ethereal creatures have existed for more than 500 million years and have adapted to every ocean environment on Earth,” according to the aquarium. “Sea jellies are not fish, but invertebrates — animals without backbones. They are composed of protein, mineral salts, and 95% water. While they have no heart, brain, or gills, they have an umbrella-like body with a network of sensory nerve cells, tentacles, and oral arms. Depending on the species, a sea jelly may have up to 1,200 tentacles.”
The Long Beach-based Aquarium of the Pacific, 100 Aquarium Way, houses more than 12,000 animals and operates conservation and rehabilitation programs across Southern California, including Greater Los Angeles’ only sea turtle rehabilitation program.
It is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.