Lion’s Mane Jellyfish

Lion’s Mane jellies feed their predators including birds, such as razorbills and penguins, fish such as blue whiting, and leatherback sea turtles.

These jellies will play host to other species. For example, Juvenile pollack and other fishes can be found using the bell for shelter while larval crabs in the megalops stage will hitch a ride on these jellies.

Lion’s Mane jellies can be problematic to salmon aquaculture when they encounter sea cage farms and sting the salmon, wounding or killing them. A jelly’s body can smash against the cages, breaking into bits that easily reach the fish and sting them. In 1996, they killed thousands of salmon in Scotland and in 2002 and 2006, they caused severe damage to salmon aquaculture in East Iceland. During the 2006 event, 1,000 tons of salmon were lost despite the presence of a special fence meant to protect the cages.