Confusion over jellyfish which look like fried eggs puts display on ice

Marine experts at Scarborough Sea Life Centre have cancelled an order for a dozen Cotylorhiza tuberculata because of their uncanny resemblance to a popular breakfast ingredient.

Better known as the fried egg jellyfish the species looks so much like a ‘sunnyside up’ it caused huge problems for aquarists at Birmingham Sea Life last summer. “It was okay while they were pulsing around their tank, but whenever they took a rest and just floated people thought they weren’t real,” said Scarborough’s Lia Bull.

Rather than risk having to spend valuable time convincing visitors the jellies are real, the Scarborough team has decided to stick with other species including native moon jellies and highly venomous compass jellyfish. “We might consider bringing fried-egg jellies in at a later stage if we can get hold of some good video of them in the wild to show alongside the display, which would hopefully be enough to convince people they’re real,” said Lia.

Meanwhile conservation charity PLACE (People, Landscape and Cultural Environment Education and Research Centre) will hold its spring conference in Scarborough on April 12 and hear the latest developments in moves to protect the marine environment off Yorkshire. The Government wants to introducing Marine Conservation Zones and has said it plans to consult on creating three in the region including Runswick Bay.