This time I have something for nature lovers, actually for those who love underwater life like me 😀
Let me introduce you to a jellyfish (or medusa) called CASSIOPEA ANDROMEDA.
I came across this species during a visit to the Cologne Zoo in Germany this summer. Next to the zoo there’s an aquarium and as someone who truly enjoys visiting places like that, of course I couldn’t resist stepping inside.
I love aquariums, oceanariums and similar spaces. I visited already a lot of them in whole Europe. There is something magical about them. You can discover a different world there — plants, fish, invertebrates — many of them unlike anything we normally see.
Many of the underwater plants have unreal colors and some of the animals move in such a gentle, hypnotic way that it’s hard to stop watching.😍
This particular jellyfish is not really colorful but I thought the black and white version fits it perfectly. The contrast shows the structure so beautifully, it almost feels like a living lace, dancing slowly in the water. And yes — it was actually swimming not lying still like these jellyfish often do. That really caught my attention.
🧬 A few facts about CASSIOPEA ANDROMEDA:
– It’s often called the "upside-down jellyfish" because in the wild it usually lies flat on the bottom of shallow waters
– Why? Because inside its body it keeps tiny algae and those algae need sunlight to produce food through photosynthesis. The jellyfish in return gets part of that energy.
– So this is not a typical predator, it lives in peaceful symbiosis with photosynthetic organisms. A truly unique lifestyle for a medusa!
– What you're seeing here is not just a jellyfish — it’s a living collaboration between animal and plant-like life.
I was absolutely mesmerized watching it move — slowly, gently, like it had all the time in the world.
Moments like this remind me how complex and creative nature really is.
Hope you enjoy this as much as I did.😍
This is my entry for the #monomad challenge.
My Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/ciezarowka_przez_obiektyw/
My Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/ciezarowkaprzezobiektyw/
My Shutterstock : https://www.shutterstock.com/pl/g/Dotka
💬 Thank you for every upvote, comment, and moment you share on my journey! 🙏
**This post is based on my own experience and original photography. AI was used for grammar correction and for supporting the translation process
STOCK PHOTOS:
https://www.pond5.com/artist/dorota21618?tab=photo&search=Jellyfish&pp=1&sb=1