Rare Minnesota Lake Discovery Stuns Water Testers

When you think of Minnesota lakes and the creatures that live in them, you might think of fish like walleye and northern pike, or mammals like beavers and otters, and even birds like loons and ducks, but jellyfish?

It sounds strange, but jellyfish have been spotted in Minnesota before. They are rare, but every once in a while they turn up in one of our lakes, and now they have made another appearance after a routine water test found two quarter sized jellyfish floating in a Twin Cities lake.

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The Surprise Discovery - Rare Visitors in Minnesota Waters

The City of Richfield says that during water testing at Taft Lake, located next to Minneapolis Saint Paul International Airport, scientists came across the unexpected guests. The lake is not large, only about 12 acres and forty-five feet deep, but still big enough for these tiny transparent creatures to drift around unnoticed.

The Star Tribune reports that water scientists from Barr Engineering were canoeing across the lake collecting samples when one of them noticed the jellyfish near the surface. They were in what is known as the medusa stage, when the jellyfish takes on its umbrella shape with tentacles hanging from the mouth.

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Rare but Harmless Sightings

The engineers captured the jellyfish in a bottle during their time on the lake. While rare and not native to Minnesota, freshwater jellyfish are not considered invasive. The Star Tribune notes that the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says sightings are so uncommon that years can pass without a verified report.

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The DNR adds that the jellyfish do not harm the lakes or pose any danger to humans. They have been in Minnesota waters for decades, usually spending their lives on the lake bottom and only occasionally drifting up to where someone might spot them.