Interview-ish thing with an Aquarist from the Aquarium of the Pacific!
Around three-ish years ago (late 2023) I went to the AOP and had the most interesting conversation with the Aquarist caring for the jellyfish there (funny enough, his name was also Noah, like the one from the Vancouver Aquarium). I've come to the realization that I didn't exactly post my notes though.
Anyways, I'm here with the scoop you won't find in a normal Jellyfish paper!
Excess jellyfish from one aquarium are usually sent to others
Apparently someone accidentally dropped a little beaker of jellyfish into the sink. It was a verrrry expensive mistake.
Jellyfish get misclassified all the time by aquariums! They usually fix it once it gets caught though.
At the time, what was classified as the Cyanea capilata was actually C. versicolor.
Additionally, the Aurelia coerulea (Moon Jellyfish) was once misclassified as A. aurita (Also a Moon Jellyfish) was thanks to shipping mistakes. The genetic labwork to classify the specimens only came in last year, and the info plates for the touch tank had only been recently updated at that time.
(For context, A. coerulea is the species found off the coast of Japan, China, Korea, and also California. A. aurita can be found pretty much everywhere though. Issues like this aren't uncommon since the every species in the genus is morphologically the same)
On the first floor (not touch tank), A. labiata are featured. They naturally have purplish fringes and a pinkish hue on the ends of their oral arms, but are completely covered up thanks to the aggressive Jellyfish rave lighting
Jellyfish get transferred across oceans through balast waters frequently, so it's not usual for one jellyfish to appear in regions they aren't usually found (This is why citizen science projects are so important!)
(Pacific) Sea Nettles grow fast, and can double in size within a week
Flower Hat Jellyfish (at least at the AOP) don't like herring. They also like sticking to the ground with their smaller tentacles and reach for food with their big tentacles
... And that's just about it! Thanks for sticking around for these fun facts about 2023-era Aquarium of the Pacific!
