The freshwater jellyfish Craspedacusta sowerbyi (top) is not native to New Zealand and possibly came from China. The species was first documented in Lake Taupō and lakes around Rotorua in the 1950s. It has since been recorded in many other lakes. It preys mainly on the zooplankton Ceriodaphnia (bottom). It seems unlikely that the jellyfish is a threat to native freshwater life.
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NIWA – National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research
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