In Search of the Elusive Freshwater Jellyfish

The freshwater jellyfish, Craspedacusta sowerbii, was first described in London by British zoologist Ray Lankester in 1880. In the 145 years since it was described, there have been only a few reports of this unique species in the United Kingdom. This presentation summarises research from the University of Plymouth investigating the presence and distribution of C. sowerbii across the UK using citizen science. C. sowerbii is a small jellyfish that typically appears sporadically in the summer months in warm, still water, so can be difficult to spot. Learning more about this species in the UK will help to fill in gaps in global distribution and potentially assist in discovering more about the genetic lineages of this widespread species.