Cassiopea maremetens or upside down jellyfish.

Part of the large group cassiopeidae of true jellyfish, this one is our own Auzy version of this common jellyfish found through out the indo pacific.
Ours is found in the warm waters from the Gulf of Carpentaria down to Moreton bay.
This jellyfish appears as an anemone, in that it faces up wards with the top of its disk on the sand or mud, this is to provide sunlight for the algae that exists with the jelly fishes tendrils cells. This carries out photosynthesis providing a great deal of its food needs.
They function the same as corals with the selection of plankton as a food source and utilising symbiotic algae with in its cells as do anemones and corals.
The sting from these is very slight, yet is renowned for its irritating affects due to allergic reactions and causing rashes.
 
The under side of the jellyfish, well when it on the substrate it is.


Close up in captivity


What is normally the top of the jellyfish?


This photos is of one swimming in the wild.