What the sources say
Lion's Mane JellyfishCyanea capillata
Every figure, record and mechanism on the Lion's Mane Jellyfish profile was written from a source, and this is the working table behind it: 42 claims checked word for word against these sources. The left column is what the page says. The right column is the source's own words, copied, not paraphrased; a ... marks a cut and[brackets] an insertion. Open any source and check it yourself.
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Source
01
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan
Cyanea capillata (Lions mane). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.
- The page saysMainly fish, caught in a net of tentacles and stunned by stinging cells
- The source says
feeds mainly on fish. It catches its prey by sinking slowly with its tentacles spread in a circle around it. The prey is captured in the "net" of tentacles and stunned by the nematocysts.
Note: stats.diet; nematocysts are stinging cells (Oceana: 'stinging cells called nematocysts') - The page saysIts bell usually spans 30 to 80 centimeters (12 to 31 inches) but can reach up to 1.8 meters (5.9 feet) across
- The source says
Its bell normally ranges in diameter from 30 to 80 cm, with some individuals growing up to a maximum of 180 cm.
Note: 180 cm = 1.8 m = 5.9 ft, and 30-80 cm = 12-31 in, both unit conversions of the same ADW figures; Oceana's current page independently gives the same maximum, 'up to 1.8 meters (5.9 feet) across.' - The page saysdivided into eight lobes with a mane of tentacles, arranged in eight clusters, hanging beneath it
- The source says
The bell is divided into eight obvious lobes ... it has eight groups of 150 tentacles each on the underside of its umbrella
- The page saysIt hunts by sinking slowly with its tentacles spread in a circle around it, catching prey in the net and stunning it with nematocysts
- The source says
It catches its prey by sinking slowly with its tentacles spread in a circle around it. The prey is captured in the "net" of tentacles and stunned by the nematocysts.
- The page saysEven a dead lion's mane jellyfish, or a tentacle torn loose from it, is capable of stinging
- The source says
Even a dead animal or a detached tentacle is capable of stinging.
- The page saysStill Armed After Death
- The source says
Even a dead animal or a detached tentacle is capable of stinging.
Note: blockquote lead - The page saysSuch assemblies have been seen off Norway and in the North Sea
- The source says
Kilometer long assemblies can be seen off the coast of Norway and in the North Sea.
- The page saysIt sinks slowly with its tentacles spread in a circle around it, and the prey is captured in the net of tentacles and stunned by the nematocysts, its stinging cells
- The source says
It catches its prey by sinking slowly with its tentacles spread in a circle around it. The prey is captured in the "net" of tentacles and stunned by the nematocysts.
Note: faq 3 - The page saysa hunter that sinks slowly with its tentacles spread in a circle, netting and stunning its prey
- The source says
It catches its prey by sinking slowly with its tentacles spread in a circle around it. The prey is captured in the "net" of tentacles and stunned by the nematocysts.
Note: vibe.reason, settle #450
Source
02
Oceana Marine Life Encyclopedia
Lion's Mane Jellyfish. Oceana Marine Life Encyclopedia.
- The page sayswith tentacles speculated to trail up to 120 feet through Arctic and temperate seas
- The source says
tentacles speculated to grow up to 36.6 meters (120 feet) long ... this jelly drifts through cold and temperate waters of the Arctic
Note: tagline - The page saysCold and temperate waters of the Arctic, Atlantic, and Pacific Oceans, including the North Sea and Baltic Sea
- The source says
this jelly drifts through cold and temperate waters of the Arctic, Atlantic, Pacific, North Sea and Baltic Sea
Note: stats.habitat - The page saysTentacles speculated to trail up to 36.6 meters (120 feet)
- The source says
tentacles speculated to grow up to 36.6 meters (120 feet) long
Note: stats.superpower, first clause - The page saysNot Evaluated
- The source says
its population has not been assessed
Note: stats.conservationStatus; no Red List assessment exists for this species (source pack found none), so Oceana's own statement that it hasn't been assessed backs Not Evaluated - The page saysdrifts through cold and temperate water across the Arctic, Atlantic and Pacific, including the North Sea and Baltic Sea
- The source says
this jelly drifts through cold and temperate waters of the Arctic, Atlantic, Pacific, North Sea and Baltic Sea
- The page saysThose tentacles are speculated to trail up to 36.6 meters (120 feet)
- The source says
tentacles speculated to grow up to 36.6 meters (120 feet) long
- The page saysA Net of a Thousand Tentacles
- The source says
Beneath its bell hangs over 1,000 tentacles, each of which contains stinging cells called nematocysts.
Note: heading; the thousand threads are the tentacles - The page saysthe stinging cells its tentacles carry. Oceana says more than 1,000 tentacles hang from its bell
- The source says
Beneath its bell hangs over 1,000 tentacles, each of which contains stinging cells called nematocysts.
- The page saysUnusually for jellyfish, lion's manes come together in shoals, which can sometimes be a kilometer (0.6 miles) long
- The source says
Unusual for jellyfish, they are known to come together in shoals, which can sometimes be a kilometer (0.6 miles) long!
- The page saysOceana says the species is not known to face any major threats, and its population has not been assessed
- The source says
Currently, this species is not known to face any major threats. While its population has not been assessed, it is not thought to be in danger of extinction.
- The page saysIts bell can be up to 1.8 meters (5.9 feet) across, with more than 1,000 tentacles hanging beneath it
- The source says
a bell that can be up to 1.8 meters (5.9 feet) across ... Beneath its bell hangs over 1,000 tentacles
Note: faq 1
Source
03
McClain et al. 2015
McClain et al. (2015). Sizing ocean giants: patterns of intraspecific size variation in marine megafauna. PeerJ.
- The page saysOften called the world's longest jellyfish
- The source says
Many authorities regard the Lion's Mane Jellyfish to be the longest of all jellyfish.
Note: tagline; 'often called' keeps the source's 'many authorities regard' - The page saysmany authorities rank it the longest of all jellyfish
- The source says
Many authorities regard the Lion's Mane Jellyfish to be the longest of all jellyfish.
Note: stats.superpower, second clause - The page saysOften Called the Longest Jellyfish
- The source says
Many authorities regard the Lion's Mane Jellyfish to be the longest of all jellyfish.
Note: heading - The page saysa figure that comes from one jellyfish a naturalist named Agassiz measured at Nahant, on the east coast of the United States, and reported in 1865
- The source says
On the east coast of the United States, a Cyanea medusa was recorded by A Agassiz in an illustrated catalog in 1865 ... "I measured myself a specimen at Nahant, the disk of which had attained a diameter of seven and a half feet, the tentacles extending to a length of more than one hundred and twenty feet." ... this 120-foot (36.6 m) measurement is repeated
Note: the source gives only the initial 'A Agassiz', so the page names no first name - The page saysA 2015 study of giant marine animals is skeptical of that measurement, because Agassiz gave no details of how he took it
- The source says
we are skeptical of Agassiz's measurement, as no details are provided on how the measurements were taken.
Note: 2015 is the reference's own publication year - The page saysIt also notes that genetic data suggests the jellyfish of the eastern United States are an undescribed Cyanea species, distinct from the European Cyanea capillata
- The source says
molecular data from the eastern United States suggests that this species is an undescribed Cyanea sp., which is genetically distinct from C. capillata in Europe
- The page saysThe study found no other size measurements of Cyanea in the literature, yet the 120-foot figure is repeated in both the popular media and scientific literature
- The source says
this 120-foot (36.6 m) measurement is repeated in both the popular media and scientific literature. No other size measurements of Cyanea were found in the literature
- The page saysIt comes from one jellyfish a naturalist named Agassiz measured at Nahant, on the east coast of the United States, and reported in 1865: a bell seven and a half feet across with tentacles more than 120 feet long
- The source says
On the east coast of the United States, a Cyanea medusa was recorded by A Agassiz in an illustrated catalog in 1865 ... "I measured myself a specimen at Nahant, the disk of which had attained a diameter of seven and a half feet, the tentacles extending to a length of more than one hundred and twenty feet."
Note: faq 2; 120 = 'one hundred and twenty' - The page saysA 2015 study of giant marine animals said it was skeptical of the record: Agassiz gave no details of how he measured it, and DNA evidence suggests the American jellyfish he saw may not even have been the same species as the European Cyanea capillata
- The source says
molecular data from the eastern United States suggests that this species is an undescribed Cyanea sp., which is genetically distinct from C. capillata in Europe ... we are skeptical of Agassiz's measurement, as no details are provided on how the measurements were taken.
Note: faq 2; 2015 is the reference's own year
Source
04
Heaslip et al. 2012
Heaslip et al. (2012). Jellyfish Support High Energy Intake of Leatherback Sea Turtles (Dermochelys coriacea): Video Evidence from Animal-Borne Cameras. PLoS ONE.
- The page saysOn the Leatherback Menu
- The source says
Lion's mane jellyfish (Cyanea capillata) was the dominant prey (83-100%)
Note: heading - The page saysOff Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, researchers attached video cameras to 19 leatherback sea turtles and found lion's mane jellyfish was their dominant prey
- The source says
video from animal-borne cameras to examine how prey characteristics ... correlate with the daytime foraging behavior of leatherbacks ( n = 19) in shelf waters off Cape Breton Island, NS, Canada ... Lion's mane jellyfish ( Cyanea capillata ) was the dominant prey (83–100%)
Note: NS = Nova Scotia - The page saysThey estimated the turtles ate approximately 261 lion's mane jellyfish per day on average, and up to 664
- The source says
Individual estimates of energy intake averaged 66,018±42,034 kJ (range 315–167,797 kJ) per day ... These values represent a consumption of 330±210.1 kg (range 2–840 kg) wet mass per day or approximately 261 lion's mane jellyfish (range 1–664) per day.
Note: an estimate from energy intake, hence 'estimated' - The page sayscapture success was 100 percent for all turtles
- The source says
jellyfish captures were recorded and capture success was 100% for all turtles
- The page saysOn 4 of the 19 videos, pilot fish were seen swimming near the turtle's head or near the jellyfish it was about to eat
- The source says
Commensal pilot fish (Naucrates ductor) were identified from the video for 4/19 deployments for all years and were observed swimming in the vicinity of the turtle's head and/or near lion's mane jellyfish that were approached and consumed by turtles.
- The page saysLeatherback sea turtles do, and off Nova Scotia they made it their dominant prey
- The source says
Lion's mane jellyfish (Cyanea capillata) was the dominant prey (83-100%)
Note: faq 4; study area is shelf waters off Cape Breton Island, NS (Nova Scotia), Canada - The page saysA study using cameras on 19 leatherbacks
- The source says
video from animal-borne cameras to examine how prey characteristics ... correlate with the daytime foraging behavior of leatherbacks ( n = 19) in shelf waters off Cape Breton Island, NS, Canada
Note: faq 4 - The page saysestimated the turtles ate approximately 261 lion's mane jellyfish per day on average, and up to 664
- The source says
These values represent a consumption of 330±210.1 kg (range 2–840 kg) wet mass per day or approximately 261 lion's mane jellyfish (range 1–664) per day.
Note: faq 4 - The page sayswith a 100 percent capture success rate
- The source says
jellyfish captures were recorded and capture success was 100% for all turtles
Note: faq 4
Source
05
Wang et al. 2018
Wang et al. (2018). Unique Diversity of Sting-Related Toxins Based on Transcriptomic and Proteomic Analysis of the Jellyfish Cyanea capillata and Nemopilema nomurai (Cnidaria: Scyphozoa). Journal of Proteome Research.
- The page saysOne study identified 53 putative toxins in the venom of this species' nematocysts, including neurotoxins and pore-forming toxins
- The source says
A total of 53 and 69 putative toxins were identified in C. capillata nematocyst venom (CnV) and N. nomurai nematocyst venom (NnV), respectively. These sting-related toxins from both CnV and NnV could be grouped into 10 functional categories, including proteinases, phospholipases, neurotoxins
Source
06
South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Marine Resources Division
Jellyfish Information. South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Marine Resources Division.
- The page saysIn jellyfish generally, a single tentacle can hold hundreds or thousands of nematocysts
- The source says
A single tentacle can have hundreds or thousands of nematocysts embedded in the epidermis.
Note: scoped to jellyfish generally, as the source is - The page saysEach one contains a hollow, coiled, barbed thread: on contact, pressure inside the cell fires it out like a small harpoon, injecting paralyzing toxins
- The source says
The stinging structure consists of a hollow coiled thread with barbs along its length ... When tentacles make contact with an object, pressure within the nematocyst forces the stinging thread to rapidly uncoil ... The thousands of nematocysts act as small harpoons, firing into prey and injecting paralyzing toxins.
Note: continues the 'in jellyfish generally' sentence - The page saysdangerLevel: Medium
- The source says
Stinging symptoms are similar to those of the moon jelly but, usually more intense. Pain is relatively mild and often described as burning rather than stinging.
Note: settle #450: under the Lion's Mane (Cyanea capillata) heading. Medium is 'Can injure, but rarely seriously'; no cached source reports a serious injury
How the table was made: a writer drafted the profile from these sources and logged each claim with its quote, a reviewer with nothing but this table checked every sentence said no more than its quote, and a script confirmed each quote appears word for word in the source. The method is in the site'sAbout page.