Juvenile specimens of purple-striped jellyfish (Chrysaora colorata, formerly Pelagia colorata). Purple-striped jellyfish have a relatively limited range, found primarily off the coast of California. They are a popular in public aquariums, but these captive specimens never attain the spectacular dimensions or coloration of their wild counterparts. Older jellyfish of this species usually have very distinct purple pigment patterns, but younger individuals have a pale pinkish bell that lacks dramatic stripes. Juveniles also have long, thin, dark maroon tentacles that assume a more subdued coloration as they age. Juveniles, as shown here, have beautiful lacy oral arms, sometimes as long as 4 to 5 meters. Very old individuals often lack these long flowing oral arms and have thicker, pale tentacles. They feed upon a wide variety of zooplankton, including copepods, larval fish, and fish eggs.