THE 'AMAZONIAN FRESHWATER JELLYFISH'
(Craspedacusta sowerbii Lankester 1880) IN YORKSHIRE  

Photographs by Terry Smithstone (Doncaster Museum Staff)

 Visitors to Doncaster's Hatfield Water Park (national grid squares SE/6610 and SE/6710) were fascinated to see thousands of tiny (2cm wide) transparent freshwater jellyfish swimming (pulsating) around the edges of this former sand quarry.

 First sightings and numbers at Hatfield Water Park 

The jellyfish were first noticed by Water Park Staff in mid July, then local anglers spotted 27 at the northern end of the lake on 3rd August. Two weeks later, visitors noticed the number had increase to thousands (!) and contacted Doncaster Museum with their observations.

On 17th August, a visit by Colin Howes and Elizabeth Farningham of the Doncaster Naturalists' Society found thousands of specimens up to 2cm across were present along the sheltered southern shoreline, with small numbers in the clear water at points all around the lake. 

Sample surveys in shallow warm waters around the beds of submerged pondweed (Canadian Pondweed Elodea canadensis and Spiked Water Milfoil Myriophillum spicatum) along the southern shore resulted in counts of up to 45 per square metre. 

On the 15th September Colin Howes and Derek Allen of the Doncaster Naturalists' Society revisited the site and conted 40 'jellies' swimming ina 2m2 area of calm, shallow, warm (68 oF) water by the water polo area.

Discovery new to science

Craspedacusta sowerbii was first noticed in 1880 (Lankester 1880) in the tanks that held the world's largest water lily the Giant Amazon Water Lily (Victoria amazonica (Poepp.) Sow.) in the revolutionary new heated conservatory at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, London.

Distribution in Britain

It is a naturalised species originating from Brazil and almost certainly arrived here in 1838 amongst plants brought back from Brazil and Guiana by the botanist and explorer Richard Schomburg. These included the now legendary Giant Amazon Water Lily (Victoria amazonica (Poepp. Sow.) 

(In heated conditions) After the Jellyfish's discovery in the water lily tank at Kew in 1880, early examples of their occurrence in heated indoortanks were quickly noticed in Regent's Park, London; Birmingham; Boscome; Sheffield and Edinburgh (Russell 1953). 

The Sheffield occurrence emanated from plants of Victoria amazonica being acquired from Kew for the Sheffield Botanic Gardens and housed in the  elegant Joseph Paxton designed conservatories. By 1893 C. sowerbii medusae had been noticed here providing the first Yorkshire record (Lankester 1893). 

There have also been records of jellyfish in heated freshwater aquaria. Some of these are likely to have been introduced directly with imported plants and fish from the country of origin. The ones which appeared in the Manchester Museum Aquariums in the 1960s were thought to have been examples of this (Seyd 1967).  

(Outdoor) Its first discovery living out-doors in Britain (indeed the first European record) was in Exeter Ship Canal, Devon in 1928 and 1929 (Valentine 1930) and again in the 1970s (Aves C.R. & Nichols D. 1977). In 1948 it appeared in a colliery reservoir in Monmouthshire and in Whitcome Reservoir, Gloucestershire (Russell 1953, Kidd 1956).   

In May 1952, after noticing large numbers of tiny (up to 3mm) jellyfish in the tropical aquarium kept by a Mr W. F. Edwards of Oldham, Leonard Kidd of Oldham Museum, discovered that the source of these had been a supply of pondweed (Elodea sp.) obtained from the Rochdale Canal near Oldham (Kidd 1956). 

On 22nd July 1982 four medusae were brought to Bolton Museum for identification. They had been collected by Mr S. Jones in the short, isolated Bolton branch of the Manchester, Bolton and Bury canal at Little Lever (Hancock 1983).  

On 14th August 1992, five specimens were noted in the Sheffield Canal Basin (SK/361877) by Stephen Blakeborough and were identified by staff at Sheffield Museum (Richards and Whiteley 1993). Jellyfish were again seen during the summer of 2001 in the canal basin at Victoria Quays (Hardy, P. 2002). 

During the late 1990s a population was studied in a backwater of the River Thames (Green 1998).  

The World Conquering Freshwater Jellyfish

International trade in plants for aquaria and aquatic gardens has led to the Amazonian Freshwater Jellyfish being accidentally liberated mainly through tropical and temperate regions of the world. Records are to hand from Australia, Bavaria, Brazil, Canada, Guam (Micronesia), Hawaii, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Panama, Portugal, most states in the USA, Yugoslavia and Southern Africa.  

Where do Freshwater Jellyfish live?

They prefer standing rather than flowing water and are most often found in calm, freshwater lakes, reservoirs, flooded sand and gravel quarries and static or slow-moving water in canals.  

Seasonality - When can we see Freshwater Jellyfish?

Usually in late summer from July to October, peak months being August and September when on warm sunny days they often come to the surface in large numbers called 'blooms'.  They are easily seen with the naked eye, those at Hatfield Water Park were swimming [pulsating] gently just below the surface.  

In the Exeter Ship Canal they were found from late July to 14th October and on 5th September the surface water was 72 oF and the jellies were present in considerable numbers. 

The specimens in the Sheffield Canal Basin back in 1992 were seen on 14th August and were still present on 25th August and the Hatfield Water Park specimens were still present on15th September 2002.  

Have You seen a Freshwater Jellyfish?

If you have seen Freshwater Jellyfish anywhere in Britain, the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union would be pleased to know the details.  

Please let me know

Your Name (optional):

Your Telephone number or e-mail address (optional):

The Body of Water in which you saw the Freshwater Jellyfish:

The District in which the body of water is located:

The Nearest Town or Village to the water body:

The Date you saw the Freshwater Jellyfish:

The Number of Freshwater Jellyfish:

Send records to:

COLIN HOWES   Doncaster Museum & Art Gallery, Chequer Road, Doncaster  DN1 2AE - Tel: 01302 - 734289 - e-mail: Colin.howes@doncaster.gov.uk 

Bibliography

Aves C.R. & Nichols D. (1977) Occurrence of the freshwater medusa Craspedacusta in Exeter.
Canal.Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 57: 569-570

Boulenger, M. and Flower, W. (1928) The Regent's Park medusa, Craspedacusta sowerbii and its   identity with C. ryderi.
Zoological Society of London :1055-1015.

Browne, E. T. (1906) On the freshwater medusa liberated by Microhydra ryderi Potts and a  comparison with Limnocodium.
Quarterly Journal of Microscope Science 50 (4): 635-645.

Dunlop, E. (1992) Amazonian jellyfish in marina mystery. Yorkshire Post 21st August: 7.

Devries, D. (1992) The freshwater jellyfish Craspedacusta sowerbyi - a summary of its life history, ecology and distribution.
Journal of Freshwater Ecology 7 (1): 7-16.

Flower, W, and S. L. (1928) The freshwater medusae Limnocodium sowerbii in the Royal Society's  Botanic Gardens, Regents Park.
Nature CXXIL (3063): 58.

Hancock E.G. (1983) Further record of Craspedacusta sowerbyi Lankester in Lancashire.
Naturalist  108 (966): 119-120

Hardy, P. (2002) Pers comm. 22.8.2002.

Hickman, S. J. (1929) A freshwater medusa in England. Nature 123: 50.

Kidd, L. N. (1956) Craspedacusta sowerbii Lankester ad its hydroid Microhydra ryderi Potts in Lancashire.
Naturalist : 139-140.

Green, J. (1998) Plankton associated with medusae of the freshwater jellyfish Craspedacusta sowebii (Lankester) in a Thames backwater. Freshwater Forum 11: 69-76.

Gregson, L. (2002) Give it some Jelly! Doncaster Star 21st August 2002: 3.

Lawton, R. (2002) [Hatfield Water Park staff] pers. comm. 22.8.2002).

Lankester. E. R. (1880) On Limnocodium (Craspedacusta) sowerbii, a new Trachomedusa  inhabiting freshwater.
Quarterly Journal of Microscope Science 20: 351-371.

Lankester. E. R. (1883) Reappearance of the freshwater medusa (Limnocodium sowerbii).
Nature, Lond. 49: 127-128.

Potts, E. (1906) On the medusa of Microhydra inhabiting fresh water.
Quarterly Journal of Microscope Science 50: 623-633.

Richards, J. R. and  Whiteley, D. (1993) Freshwater Jellyfish in central Sheffield.
Sorby Record 28: 64.

Romanes, G. J. (1880) Physiology of the fresh-water medusa. Nature 22: 179-181.

Romanes, G. J. (1881) Medusae and hydroid polyps living in fresh water.
Quarterly Journal of Microscope Science 21: 162-163.

Russell, F. S. (1953) The medusae of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge.

Scowcroft, P. (2002) [Hatfield Water Park staff ] pers. comm. 21.8.2002.

Seyd, E. L. (1967) A further record of the rare freshwater medusa in Britain.
Aquarist and  Pondkeeper 31: 12-13.

Totton, A. K. (1929) The freshwater medusa in England. Nature 123: 912.

Valentine, R. (1930) Craspedacusta (Limnocodium) sowerbii in the Exeter ship canal.
Nature 125: 15-16.

Colin Howes (Keeper of Environmental Records, Doncaster Museum DN1 2AE)

Tel: 01302 - 734289

E-mail Colin.howes@doncaster.gov.uk