India’s first jellyfish lake discovered in Gujarat

Ahmedabad, 7 August 2014

PTI reports Marine biologists have discovered a jellyfish lake in a small town named Armabada in Gujarat, probably first in India.

Jellyfish are found in different parts of coastal India but are seen rarely in lakes.According to wildlife scientist BC Choudhury, the concentration and density of jellyfish is very high here. One can even see them from outside during low tide and when the water is clear.

A couple of WTI marine biologists in snorkeling kits and armed with an underwater camera found that the bottom of the lake, spread over 5-6 hectares, was carpeted with a type of jellyfish known as ‘upside down jellyfish’. They are called so because they are found swimming upside down unlike others. They position themselves on their bottom side to receive maximum sunlight as they harbour photosynthetic algae called Zooxanthellae, which have a symbiotic relationship with jellyfish similar to corals.

These jellyfish are present all around the year unlike other places where they are reported to be seasonal. The big bloom of jellyfish in the lake might be attributed to low predation.