Amazing Jellyfish

Amazing new discovery in Israel! Near the town of Eilat while in the Red Sea, scientists caught coral sucking in a large jellyfish. “During the survey we were amazed to note some mushroom corals actively feeding for the moon jellyfish,” says Ada Alamaru, Tel Aviv University, Israel.

This is extremely strange behavior for corals since their regular diet usually includes only microscopic organisms called zooplankton (tiny drifting animals). Some corals consume natural debris. This is the first time ever reported that coral is feeding on a large jellyfish.

“In fact we saw a few corals feeding without just one,” Ms Alamaru says. Scientists believe that as a result of climate change, jellyfish are over populating coral reefs and it appears that nature found one way to balance a big number of jellyfish.

Ms Alamaru also suggests that ability to utilize a variety of food sources also to benefit from such a bloom event offers the mushroom corals a bonus compared with other little polyped corals that aren’t capable of feed on such large prey items.