While most of us dread seeing one of these slimy sea dwellers when we’re swimming, it’s a treat to watch them in the jellyfish tank at the Virginia Aquarium.
“These are new residents. They are South American nettles. They are found on both coasts of South America,” said Robert Donovan, exhibit technician at the Virginia Aquarium. “They have this wonderful pattern on their bells that is stunning, really.”
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These graceful, leggy beauties have no bones and are made up of 95% water. They are one of the largest nettle species in the world and can grow to be 30 inches wide.
“A nettle is a type of jelly. There are some distinguishing features—typically this long tentacle and the frilly oral arms in the center,” Donovan said…