UpNorthica

Lately, I’ve been posting a bit about Northern Minnesota wildlife that’s either become increasingly uncommon, or increasingly unwelcome. But I’m happy to report there are all kinds of wonders for new eyes to discover, as well.

It was my wife who first spotted several odd things floating just under the surface of Ruby Lake, as we paddled across it a few years ago. Small ring-like shapes the size of nickels or quarters, that first appeared to be bits of plant matter. But wait, they were moving. Moving with little tentacles! We were looking at little bite-size jellyfish, here in Minnesota. In moments, we found ourselves sharing the waters with hundreds of them. It was like spotting a giraffe in Columbia Heights or something. Even better, because we’d never known these creatures to have existed, much less heard of them.

Thankfully, freshwater jellyfish (Craspedacusta sowerbii) are harbingers of a healthy freshwater lake. They eat zooplanktons and live in calm freshwater lakes (I have also heard that lakes that are spring-fed but without outlets are favorable for spotting them.) I found this site to be a good resource for my questions. I’d love to hear if anybody else has seen them in our waters…and also if anyone can tell me how they taste deep-fried with a good marinara sauce on the side?