Jellyfish in Cumberland

[JimDicken]

You guys need to go back to a biology 101 class. There are no freshwater jellyfish in North America. Don't know what you've seen, maybe bryzoan attached to sticks, but it was NOT jellyfish.

There have been freshwater jelly fish in the state since time began. The water in some bodies of water is so clean that they can survive. They do require VERY clean water. The first time I heard of them was on Laurel River.
IF Stripers can make it in fresh water why couldn't a jellyfish.. all be it non poisonous.. but jelly fish none the less.

[jcb]

The Craspedacusta Sowerbii looks like, swims like, and to a layman IS a jellyfish. It does differ, however, from true marine jellyfish. Devils Horse had it nailed long ago in an earlier post.

For all the info you ever wanted on the freshwater "jellyfish" and more:

http://www.jellyfish.iup.edu/

[Moose1am]

I've personally observed fresh water jelly fish swimming near the surface of Patoka Lake in Southern IN.

Fresh water jelly fish are around but you won't see them unless conditions are perfect. And they live only in pristine waters. You won't find them in polluted waters.

[VMAXX]

They are quite plentiful and are a primary food source for several aquatic species. A research team from Woods Hole Institute recently published photographic evidence of this little-known link in the Lake Cumberland food chain. The link below goes to a photo showing their interaction with other species:

http://tinyurl.com/yr3yrl

Thats the jellyfish I thought of first!!

[Moose1am]

You guys are talking about TWO DIFFERENT Species. The spongy type substance that grows on submerged standing trees near the water line is one thing. But the fresh water jelly fish are another species. These jelly fish that I have observed are small. Maybe 1" or 2" around in the bell and with very short trailing tentacles. They are clear and transparent and hard to see unless the light is just right. They can be observed free swimming though the water about 1 ft below the surface. I have only seen them one time while water skiing at Patoka Lake. I was reluctant to get into the water at first when I first saw them. We just moved to another bay and went on water skiing that day. I must admit I had a hard time at first with this observation. But my wife and daughter saw them too. We didn't know anything about them at the time and I was not going to pick them up or touch them. Better to be safe than sorry. But later on I read about them somewhere and found out that they were not harmful to humans. These are not the famous Box Jelly fish by any means. They are small and basically harmless to humans as far as I know. We were in the water swimming at one point when we first noticed them.

[jcb]

Thats the jellyfish I thought of first!!

You must have kids too. :-)

[buzzking]

Oh yea, well I saw a Stingray the last time I was on Dale Hollow.........I got the hell out of the as quick as possible...

[DJD]

Hey don
What other lakes have you seen them in?

We saw them at Green River Lake as well. It's been years ago...

[JoeB]

Apparantly you guys observed the jellyfish right after you tip toed through the mushroom patch. No such thing as freshwater jellyfish in North America. Now get off the crack and go fishing!

[biggw]

wow JUST ASK A QUESTION- man you never know when you might start something weeeeeee go jellyfish--lol

[jcb]

Apparantly you guys observed the jellyfish right after you tip toed through the mushroom patch. No such thing as freshwater jellyfish in North America. Now get off the crack and go fishing!

Dude, did you even read the previous posts in this thread? Or just trolling through?

[fisheater]

No crack being smoked here,there are fresh water jellyfish.While not a true jellyfish but a jellyfish to anyone who sees it none the less.The difference between the fresh water and salt water is minimal at best.My brother told me he seen some in patoka about 6 or 7 years ago and i thought he was full of it just like most of the people i tell it to today.I was also told the water had to be really clean,which doesnt explain why i seen them in harrods creek but my buddy {bandit1} spotted them and i looked down and there they were,if still not a beleiver call the falls of ohio biologist and verify it yourself.