Living in both tropical and subtropical water, these invertebrates are carnivorous and prey upon a mixture of creatures, such as young minnows, anchovy eggs, worms, and mosquito larvae as well as other sea jellies. Sea nettles trail long tentacles through the water as they drift with the ocean currents. When the tentacles touch prey, stinging cells shoot tiny harpoons filled with venom that paralyze their prey. From there the prey is moved to the mouth-arms and eventually the mouth where it is digested. Once the prey has been transferred, the tentacles extend again to become fishing lines once more. Animals such as juvenile crabs have been observed using the sea nettles as a means of transportation, attaching themselves to their bodies until they arrive at the shore.
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