Jellyfish in Arkansas? Yes, indeed! It might seem strange to find jellyfish so far away from the ocean. Yet these interesting creatures are common in some of our lakes.
At one time, there were no jellyfish in our state. The freshwater jelly originated in China’s Yangtze River. No one is sure when and how it spread from there, but this unusual animal now lives in waters on every continent except Antarctica. It is found in every U.S. state except Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Alaska and Hawaii. Perhaps no other aquatic species on earth has spread so far and wide.
Adult freshwater jellies are shaped like little umbrellas. They are translucent, with a white or green tint. Most are less than 1 inch in diameter. They have four long tentacles for swimming and many shorter ones for feeding.
Jellyfish Prey
Freshwater jellyfish eat zooplankton. They catch these tiny animals with their short stinging tentacles. As the jellyfish drifts, it waits for its prey to touch a tentacle. When contact is made, little stingers called nematocysts harpoon the prey. These inject poison that paralyzes the animal. The tentacle then coils around the prey and brings it into the mouth. The food is then digested.
No one can predict for sure when adult jellyfish may show up. They may appear in a body of water in large numbers even though they were never reported there before. The following year they may be absent and may not reappear until several years later. It also is possible for the jellyfish to appear once in a body of water and never reappear.
Where You Might See Arkansas Jellies
You may be surprised to know how many places jellyfish have been found in Arkansas. They have been collected in lakes Ouachita, Greers Ferry, Norfork, DeGray and Greeson, plus many smaller waters such as ponds and gravel pits. Jellies don’t thrive in the running water of streams, but they’ve been reported in the Mulberry River, White River and a few creeks around the state.
One of the best places to see freshwater jellyfish is Lake Ouachita. The clean, crystal-clear water here has allowed the jellyfish to reproduce in large numbers.
Sunny Summer Days Best
Sunny days in August and September, when the water is warm and food is abundant, are peak times to spot jellyfish in Lake Ouachita. The jellies will be floating or swimming gently just below the water’s surface. They are easily seen by the naked eye. They often appear in large numbers called “blooms.”
Some people worry that freshwater jellyfish may sting them. They do have stinging cells just like their saltwater relatives. But, fortunately, their stingers aren’t considered big enough to pierce human skin.
