Haliclystus auricula
28 June 2010
This species currently has no common name.
Haliclystus auricula is a stalked jellyfish up to 2.5 cm high with eight tentacled arms radiating from the mouth, connected near the tips by a thin membrane. Colour varies from grey/green to red/brown. It spends all its life attached to the seabed, usually on seaweed or seagrass. It can move by using one of its tentacles as an anchor, detaching its base and then cartwheeling to a new position.
Haliclystus auricula (c) Marco Faasse/acteon.nl
Latin name: Haliclystus auricula
Population numbers:
This stalked jellyfish was once fairly common in south west England, but is now considered nationally scarce.
Where to see and when:
It occurs mainly along the west coast of Britain, with isolated records from Northumberland. Found on algae and seagrasses in shallow areas, wherever water movement provide plentiful supplies of food.
What’s being done:
Haliclystus auricula is declining and is sensitive to pollution and environmental change, so it is a good indicator of environmental health.
More information:
Haliclystus auricula is currently the subject of a competition run with The Guardian to choose common names for unnamed rare species. You can enter the competition online
.Name a species competition details on our website
