Facts and Information
There are several types of predators that the Jellyfish may have in the ocean. Of course it depends on where they live and their size. Some Jellyfish live close to the surface and others are far down in the water. What also lives there that may consume the Jellyfish can vary. The larger a Jellyfish is the less likely it is to be bothered by some predators. Yet sometimes it really doesn’t matter because the predator is so large.
Any type of aquatic life that has a filtering system for finding plankton such as species of Whales will consume Jellyfish. The small Jellyfish get caught up and they are small enough to be consumed. They don’t get filtered out like many of the larger ones do. Since these filter eating animals can consume very large amounts of prey every single day they are a very large predator of the Jellyfish. Yet in many oceans the number of whales continue to decline.
One of the most common Jellyfish predators is the Ocean Sun Fish. They will consume Jellyfish of various sizes. They will also consume them in all forms of their lifecycle. These fish are prominent in most oceans and they seem to be doing very well. However, in quite a few areas there are lower than normal numbers of fish.
That is due to the abundance of fishing today. With the use of advanced tools including large nets their numbers in the wild are declining. It also has to do with environmental issues such as pollution. The Ocean Sun Fish as well as other types of fish that eat Jellyfish have been decreasing in numbers because they simply can’t thrive in such an environment.
Sea Turtles can live for 100 years or longer and they also consume Jellyfish. Their shells help to protect them from any stings that a Jellyfish offers. They also have protective covers over their eyes that protect that area of the body as well from the sting or toxins that a Jellyfish may be able to deliver.
The Sea Turtles migrate annually for mating and that journey can be a very long one. They rely on food supplies including the Jellyfish to be plentiful for them along their way.
In some locations there are humans that eat Jellyfish. This is limited though to only a few species. They are harvested in China and Asia along with a few given locations in Japan. The consumption of Jellyfish has become a delicacy in such areas for the natives and for tourists. The Jellyfish can be consumed raw, with garlic, or baked to give them a crispy texture.
In some locations humans have simply been hunting them in large nets to get rid of them. They want to be able to swim in the ocean waters without the risk of being sting by a single Jellyfish or by a bloom of them.
In spite of the fact that there are numerous predators of the Jellyfish species out there, they are thriving. They are highly adaptable creatures and they do create enough offspring to replenish themselves. In fact, in many locations the numbers of Jellyfish are higher than ever due to decreases in the population of their predators.
Many experts believe that the food chain balance of these various predators heavily relies on the presence of the Jellyfish. Without them it would be very hard for fish, turtles, and birds to be able to find enough to eat. They are already competing for food along the ocean and the shore.
