Living in the Mediterranean certainly has its ups and it also has its downs. After six weeks of not setting foot in the warm waters of the Asinara Bay we finally made the trek down to Tinnari for a refreshing swim.
I was just about to leap into the water when I noticed this floating very close to shore:
The Cotylorhiza tuberculata is a species of jellyfish found in the Mediterranean and goes by the hilarious name of Fried Egg Jellyfish.
I wasn’t about to take a flying leap into the inviting waters after I saw this jellyfish! However, this type of jellyfish sting has little to no effect on human beings. I didn’t know that then and even now with this knowledge I would never dive into waters with these jellyfish swimming around. I mean, just look at those purple tentacles.
Swimming wasn’t an option, so I took a little walk along the shoreline enjoying the warm September sun when I spotted this:
And there were a lot! I’m not too sure what species this type of jellyfish is, it could be: Rhizostoma pulmo or a rhopilema. The above photo is the best of the hundred I took. I did watch it for sometime and noted that it resembled a porcini mushroom.
Even though I didn’t get the much-needed swim in, it was still a beautiful day!
Do you know what type of jellyfish is in the above photo?
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© My Sardinian Life/Jennifer Avventura. All rights reserved 2010-2013. All pictures, unless otherwise stated, are property of My Sardinian Life. Do not use without written permission.
My Sardinian Life 
http://www.ciesm.org/marine/programs/jellywatch.htm has a nice jellyfish identification poster and information about the jellyfish watch program in the Mediterranean
Oh yes, I’ve seen that poster and referred to it when naming the fried egg jellyfish.
When I saw the post title, I actually thought it was a recipe for fried Egg Jellyfish which sounded gross, so I was relieved that it wasn’t! Although, actually I guess if you were very brave you could give fried Fried Egg Jellyfish a go!! Let us know how it tastes!
I’m not brave enough to try strange food items like fried Fried Egg Jellyfish. Just looking at it in the water made me squeamish.
NO clue, but awesome pics! I was stung once, and although it was ages ago I remember it hurt like hell! I guess now (after my son natural) I could swim in those waters no problem…was a little medusa sting?! lol!
Hi Jennifer
Haven been stung by jellyfish many years ago, I can still feel the terrible burning. The Fried Egg Jelly fish is just beautiful and the others are amazing as well, Fantastic shots of all of them. The colors on the first one was just fantastic! What a wonder they are but good to stay away from! You did a smart thing, just enjoyed the water! The ocean is just as beautiful in the fall and winter also, when I grew up in Connecticut, we lived across from a private beach that we all had access to and when it snowed the white caps were just amazing to see! The ocean is my favorite place to be and Sardegna has so many places of beauty at the ocean! Have a beautiful week and Fall! May God Bless!
Love,
Rosemarie
The Sard/American
Hi Jennifer,
the top one (Cotylorhiza tuberculata) is safe to touch and I’ve handled them many times without a sting. I was just swimming with them two weeks ago in Calabria and handled them there.
If you get in the water with them you will see that lots of tiny fish use them as floating islands offering them safety as the fish hide inside the structure of the jellyfish.
No idea what the other ones are and I wouldn’t handle them 🙂
Thank you Andrew! Even though they don’t sting they are still scary too me. They are also oddly beautiful.
They are stunning and if you’re swimming with them you get to see them in their glory as they move so beautifully. The little fish that hide in them are also just as amazing as they are usually a variety of bright colours and just kind of ‘sit’ there looking at you from inside the jellyfish 🙂
If you are in the water and lift the jellyfish out of the water the fish will immediately swim to you and literally stay stuck to your body as you move around until you put the jellyfish back and then they go back there again – just amazing to experience!
The small ones are actually way more painful than the big ones… unless you go in the ocean and get stung by a huge one which can just kill you xD
I remember being stung by a jellyfish some years ago, it was so painful! It produced the weirdest imprint/mark on my leg for a while. I wouldn’t jump in if I saw that either.
Interesting name for a jellyfish. I hate to say it, but the fried egg jellyfish is kind of pretty.
When we were in Miami a couple of years ago, we couldn’t swim, as the water was teeming with jellyfish. They were all over the beach, as well.
I have no idea what kind of jellyfish the second one is.
Hugs from Ecuador,
Kathy
Ciao Kathy,
It is a very beautiful jellyfish, I watched it for sometime! Just beautiful. : )
Never heard of them. I take it that the tent tickle shot was after the fried egg had been flipped?
I, too, prefer not to share my swims with stingy thingies, no matter how mild their effect may be.
I have no idea what kind of jellyfish it is but I don’t blame you for not jumping in. You got some terrific shots. Love the one with the tentacles.
Thank you so much! It’s amazing how many photos one takes and within that bunch there is only one that stands out! I didn’t even want to put my feet in the water. I had my running shoes on and was jumping around every time the tide came in. 😉