The Nomura’s jellyfish, giant jellyfish or Nemopilema nomurai in scientific terms are the largest and heaviest jellyfish of their kind, so we recommend you to read this article to learn all about these fascinating creatures.
Their measurements can reach up to 3’5 meters in length and 200 kilograms in weight. These huge animals are endemic to the Asian waters between Japan, China and Korea.
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Nomura’s Jellyfish Main Characteristics
Nomura’s jellyfish, begin their life as polyps the size of a pinhead, but grow very fast and in less than a year reach a diameter of 2 meters and reach 200 kilograms (440 pounds) of weight. To achieve this extraordinary growth of up to 10 percent in size per day, the juvenile nomura’s jellyfish feeds on small particles of plankton through a mouth measuring only one millimeter (3/64 inch) in width. During the last decade, they have become a serious plague in Japan. It is not known exactly what causes the population of this animal to be out of control alarmingly, but it is believed that the increase in the water temperature and the excessive fishing of their predators contribute to this phenomenon.
The huge proliferation of these animals is a real headache for Japanese fishermen since they feed on plankton, specifically zooplankton, which includes numerous eggs and fish larvae, thus decreasing the local fish population. These jellyfish have a voracious appetite, it is estimated that a single jellyfish is capable of emptying an Olympic pool full of zooplankton in a single day.
To fight them, fishermen usually kill them and then cut them up, once they have captured them in their fishing nets. However, a Japanese researcher has discovered that the remedy may be worse than the disease. This scientist has noticed that when jellyfish are in danger release their eggs and sperm to the environment as a measure for the survival of the species, so its proliferation is even greater.
There are several solutions to alleviate this big problem, one of them is to know their reproductive habits and know the places where the polyps settle. Another solution is to start including jellyfish in the diet as food. A rather ingenious solution is the one that has occurred t
o some Japanese students of Obama Fisheries High School, which have developed a giant jellyfish powder. They propose that it be included in the menu of the astronauts in space.
Those who have tried it say that the snack has a bittersweet taste. The recipe includes: sugar, starch and powder from the giant Nomura jellyfish (Nemopilema nomurai). This powder is obtained by cooking the animal until it becomes a paste, which is then dried and ground.
What do Nomura’s Jellyfish Feed On?
As far as their common diet, it can be said that it is a bit similar to all the rest of the jellyfish, since they mostly consume crustaceans such as crabs ,to which they introduce their poison to be able consume them more easily. Due to their large size other bigger fish such as tuna, salmon and catfish, can also be part of their diet.
Uses of Nomura’s Jellyfish
Due to the increase in its population, several researches have been carried out to find uses for the Nomura’s jellyfish. Each year, this species causes serious damage to the Japanese fishing companies which has furtherer a bigger study about the uses that can be given to this species.
As food
The Japanese company Tango Jersey Dairy produces a vanilla ice cream and jellyfish with Nomura jellyfish.
Medicinal Uses
At this time several researches are being carried out about their mucin (a characteristic protein of metazoans) to treat joint diseases such as osteoarthritis.
Farming
As has been done with many invasive species, a simple solution that has been considered is to use this species as a fertilizer, and different studies are being carried out in this regard.
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