Spectacular Russian jellyfish of the White Sea – in pictures

A lion's mane jellyfish swims through the white sea off the coast of Russia. Cyanea capillata is the largest known species of jellyfish Photograph: Alexander Semenov/SPL/Barcroft Media

The lion's mane jellyfish's range is confined to cold, boreal waters of the Arctic, northern Atlantic, and northern Pacific Oceans Photograph: Alexander Semenov/SPL/Barcroft Media

The largest recorded lion's mane jellyfish specimen washed up on the shore of Massachusetts Bay in 1870, had a bell (body) with a diameter of 7 feet 6 inches (2.29 m) and tentacles 120 feet (37 m) long Photograph: Alexander Semenov/SPL/Barcroft Media

Predators of the lion's mane jellyfish include seabirds, larger fish such as ocean sunfish, other jellyfish species, and sea turtles Photograph: Alexander Semenov/SPL/Barcroft Media

On 21 July 2010, around 150 people are thought to have been stung by the remains of a single specimen of lion's mane jellyfish that had broken up into countless pieces in Rye, New Hampshire, in the United States Photograph: Alexander Semenov/SPL/Barcroft Media

Size dictates coloration of lion's mane jellyfish – specimens are a vivid crimson to dark purple while smaller specimens grade to a lighter orange or tan Photograph: Alexander Semenov/SPL/Barcroft Media

A moon jellyfish throbs and pulsates Photograph: Alexander Semenov/SPL/Barcroft Media

A moon jellyfish undulates off the coast of Russia Photograph: Alexander Semenov/SPL/Barcroft Media

A lion's mane jellyfish; some can have tentacles over 30m long Photograph: Alexander Semenov/SPL/Barcroft Media

A moon jellyfish on its endless quest for zooplankton. The fish are carnivorous Photograph: Alexander Semenov/SPL/Barcroft Media

A moon jellyfish, with its four horseshoe-shaped gonads Photograph: Alexander Semenov/SPL/Barcroft Media

Looking like an alien's buttonhole, or a distant star, the underwater predator is 95% water Photograph: Alexander Semenov/SPL/Barcroft Media

A comb jellyfish with its iridescent colour bands Photograph: Alexander Semenov/SPL/Barcroft Media

A comb jellyfish swims with food visible inside its body Photograph: Alexander Semenov/SPL/Barcroft Media