It's that time of year again -- late summer to early fall -- when a lot of wine-colored, glistening, saucer-shaped, transparent, (but at times somewhat milky) jellies are seen beached.
Yes, they can be seen offshore, but it seems once they enter shallower waters they can easily be left behind as high tides recede.
We call them Lions' Manes -- Cyanea capillata. And it's this annual occurance that always captures my attention. Seems so sad that so many of these creataures are there on the water's edge sloshing about as waves pummel them - push them back and forth against rocks - break them down. They are at the mercy of these waves and currents - some drying up in the sun higher up on the beach where they were previously left behind by retreating tide-waters.
In one expanse of about 12 feet I counted seven of them. Average diameter about 12 inches -- one about four -- others considerably larger -- perhaps 20 inches or so. As a few natururalists have described their size: "big enough to fill a small washtub."
They have the destinction of being the largest jellies in our waters - actually the world's largest -- can grow up to eight feet in diameter in Artic waters, but are none-the-less members of a group of animals that have been called "little more than bags of water."
True enough, they are 95% water (ourselves only 75%). They can't see, have no bones, hearts, blood, nor brains. Yet as simple as they are, jellies have been quite successful -- have endured on our planet a very long time -- pulsating about in primal seas millions of years before the Age of Dinosaurs
What they do have, which are quite complex, are their tentacles -- 70 to over 150 long ones hanging down, posessing sophisticated harpoon-like structures called nematocysts -- tiny organs that uncoil a threadlike stinger when irritated.
The dangling tentacles remind some of lions' manes -- others of Medusa with the snaky hair. Most helpful in food gathering, the tentacles enable them to capture small fishes, planktonic items, shrimp and such.
But do also keep in mind that a second nickname for Cyanea capillata is sea nettle -- that even in death their nematocysts can render a nasty sting or rash. So keep hands, feet and pets away from beached jellies this or any time of the year.