Further Observations on the Biology of the Sea Nettle and Jellyfishes in Chesapeake Bay

The sessile or polyp stage ofChrysaora quinquecirrha, the sea nettle, is likely to be found in Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries on the hard substrates wherever salinities from 7 to 20% occur. From experimental studies in field and laboratory, we found that the planulae, larval stage of the sea nettle, set on oyster shells which were placed off the CBL pier and in St. John Creek; that planulae set more frequently on the underside of hard objects than on the upper surface; and that polyps were found on about 40% of these shells when examined after removal from the water in late autumm.