Jellyfish Diet

Jellyfish are marine invertebrates which float through the ocean. Jellyfish eat small animals and plants that stick to its tentacles, including plankton, larvae of other animals, small crustaceans, and small animals such as shrimp. Generally, jellyfish are difficult to raise in an aquarium, although it is feasible if a large enough aquarium is used. To feed jellyfish at home, brine shrimp may work well.

  1. Jellyfish

    • Jellyfish are marine invertebrates, whose bodies are over 95% water. They are in the phylum Cnidaria, which also includes sea anemones, sea whips, corals, and the Portuguese Man-O-War.

    Food and Digestion

    • According to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, different-sized jellyfish have different diets. Smaller ones eat mainly zooplankton and comb jellies, while larger ones prey on crustaceans and larger marine animals. Jellyfish are passive eaters; most catch their food with their tentacles as they drift through the ocean, and transport it to the mouth (located in the center of the body). They have a basic digestive system, in which the mouth is used both to ingest food and to expel waste. As the food passes through the digestive system, nutrients are transported through radial canals. You can see these radial canals when looking at a jellyfish - they are the white lines spreading down and outwards from the mouth.

    In the Food Chain

    • Although jellyfish eat very small things, they are vital to the food chain. The organisms keep the population of the small animals they eat in check, and thereby contribute to the overall balance of the ocean ecosystem.

    At Home

    • Jellyfish are generally very difficult to raise at home. If you need to feed jellyfish, it is best to buy brine shrimp, or seaweeds. These can be difficult to find in normal pet stores, and may need to be purchased online. Nowadays, it is more common for people to keep jellyfish as pets. Entrepreneur Alex Andon recently started a small business focused on providing jellyfish pet owners with the proper tanks, food, and other supplies. However, jellyfish are still challenging pets, and it may be wise to consider raising another aquatic animal.