Quick — what animal has no bones, blood or brain? If you said sea jellies, you’re right. If you didn’t know the answer, it’s time to visit Shedd’s new exhibit on this underwater creature that fascinates kids and adults alike.

The original exhibit, “Jellies,” has taken over the space formerly occupied by the aquarium’s welcome center. More than 10 species of jellyfish, including translucent moon jellies and upside-down jellies, will be on display, with several species being brought in to join the three species already at the aquarium.

There’s something almost hypnotic about watching the jellyfish pulse and float in the exhibit tanks at Shedd Aquarium. For once, my three kids weren’t in a hurry to get to the next exhibit. Instead, all four of us stood gazing at the translucent sea jellies on display at the Shedd’s new temporary exhibit.

The exhibit consists of more than 10 different kinds of jellies, including a kid favorite — the upside-down jellies — plus plenty of other see-through creatures set against brightly colored backgrounds.

The jellies are displayed along with interactive elements that teach visitors about these fascinating creatures that survive without brains, blood or bones. As the multi-hued jellies drifted in the tanks, dragging their long tentacles behind them, almost every visitor to the exhibit stopped and took photos and videos.

And that may be the only drawback to the exhibit. Most of the display tanks are fairly small, and people lingered at each one, making it hard for kids to see what was going on unless they were willing to wait patiently for their turn. We beat most of the crowd by hitting the exhibit first thing after the aquarium opened — a couple hours later when we were leaving, the exhibit was quite crowded.

A real plus for “Jellies” is that it transcends ages — even the toddlers and preschoolers in the crowd were mesmerized by the jellies, but no more so than all the adults who couldn’t pull themselves away from each tank. It’s definitely worth the trip to the Shedd for this exhibit.

Aquarium spokeswoman Melissa Kruth says the impetus for the exhibit came from a close look at the Shedd’s social media buzz.

“On Flickr and YouTube, jellies were the most photographed and videoed of our animals,” she says. “They’re enormously popular and we’re very excited about the expanded exhibit.”

“Jellies” features plenty of interactive and educational elements, including learning how a jelly can devour enough food to double its weight each day and how sea nettles hunt by trailing their long tentacles and arms covered with stinging cells that paralyze prey on contact.

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By Christino
Posted: 05/18/2011 11:44 PM

I have enjoyed watching this bright colored extremity active jelly fishes. Shedd museum informs the public about various life forms in our oceans, rivers, lakes and waterways. http://www.windycitychicago.net/museums-in-chicago.html