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Phylum Cnidaria | jellyfish | Class Scyphozoa > Order Semaeostomeae
Ribbon jellyfish
Chrysaora sp.
Family Pelagiidae
updated Sep 2025
Where seen? This jellyfish with long trailing ribbon-like oral arms is sometimes seen in numbers on our shores, more commonly on our Southern shores. And then they are not seen again for some time.

Features: Bell translucent about 8-12cm, thin long tentacles around the bell, ribbon-like oral arms 20-50cm long. The oral arms are flat and ribbon-like with ruffled edges. The animal may be all white, or have orange or pink oral arms. Sometimes the edge of the bell has large brown dots.

Status: There is inadequate information as at 2024 to make an informed assesment of its conservation status in Singapore.

Terumbu Semakau, Mar 11

Terumbu Semakau, Mar 11
Ribbons of Pain! This jellyfish stings painfully and powerfully. In the water, the jellyfish is translucent and easily overlooked, until you brush against one of its long stinging arms with bare skin.

Stingers are still active even after the jellyfish is dead or dying. So don't touch jellyfish, or bits of jellyfish, even if these are stranded on the beach.

How to stay safe: Do not touch jellyfishes. Wear covered shoes and long pants to cover all skin exposed to water.

Broken off parts of the jellyfish in the water.
Pasir Ris Park, Apr 10

Stranded jellyfish can still sting!
Don't touch them!

Raffles Marina, Jul 05
Ribbon jellyfishes on Singapore shores
On wildsingapore flickr
Other sightings on Singapore shores

Raffles Marina, Jul 05

Pasir Ris Park, Apr 10
Photo shared by Toh Chay Hoon on flickr.

Changi Loyang, Jun 23
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on facebook.

Chek Jawa, Jun 23
Photo shared by Kelvin Yong on facebook.

Kusu Island, Jun 15
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on his blog.

St John's Island, May 10
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on his blog.
Pulau Hantu, Apr 09
Photo shared by Toh Chay Hoon on her blog.

Cyrene, Apr 23
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on facebook.
 

Terumbu Bemban, Jun 10
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on his flickr.

Terumbu Raya, Mar 09
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on flickr.
Terumbu Pempang Tengah, May 23
Photo shared by Richard Kuah on facebook.

Ribbon Jellyfish @ Pulau Hantu 17Apr2010 from SgBeachBum on Vimeo.
Terumbu Bemban, Apr 11

Jelly n Fish @ tBembanBesar 22Apr2011 from SgBeachBum on Vimeo.
Family Pelagiidae on Singapore Shores
from Checklist of Cnidaria (non-Sclerectinia) Species with their Category of Threat Status for Singapore by Yap Wei Liang Nicholas, Oh Ren Min, Iffah Iesa in G.W.H. Davidson, J.W.M. Gan, D. Huang, W.S. Hwang, S.K.Y. Lum, D.C.J. Yeo, May 2024. The Singapore Red Data Book: Threatened plants and animals of Singapore. 3rd edition. National Parks Board. 663 pp.

  Family Pelagiidae
  Chrysaora chinensis
Chrysaora melanaster
Pelagia sp. (Purple-striped jellyfish)
Sanderia malayensis
Acknowlegement
With grateful thanks to Dr Michael N Dawson of the University of California, Merced for identifying this jellyfish.

Links
  • Checklist of Cnidaria (non-Sclerectinia) Species with their Category of Threat Status for Singapore by Yap Wei Liang Nicholas, Oh Ren Min, Iffah Iesa in G.W.H. Davidson, J.W.M. Gan, D. Huang, W.S. Hwang, S.K.Y. Lum, D.C.J. Yeo, May 2024. The Singapore Red Data Book: Threatened plants and animals of Singapore. 3rd edition. National Parks Board. 663 pp.
  • The Scyphozoan website by Dr Michael N Dawson: lots of info about jellyfishes in Class Scyphozoa.
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