Mysterious freshwater Peach Blossom Jellyfish spotted in Northern California reservoir

There’s a puzzling sight floating in the waters of a Northern California reservoir that has wildlife experts on high alert.

On September 23, Casey Neet captured video of countless jellyfish in the waters near the Stumpy Meadows Reservoir in the Eldorado National Forest. At first glance, Neet thought it was pollen floating in the waters until he realized he was looking at something you usually only see in the ocean— a jellyfish.

Its scientific name is Craspedacusta sowerbyi, but it’s commonly referred to as the Peach Blossom Jellyfish. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the freshwater mystery is native to the Yangtze River valley in China. The tiny penny-sized jellyfish have a complex life cycle and can reproduce both sexually and asexually.

The freshwater jellyfish has been detected in other parts of the world for decades, but the exact impact on the ecological environments is still under intense study. In Canada, researchers consider the jellyfish an invasive species and are studying how the Peach Blossom is impacting the food web in waterways. They feed on plankton and small fish, similar to other organisms in the ecosystem.

The USGS says that while the creatures have tentacles like ocean jellyfish, they are relatively harmless to humans and not big enough to sting. Although, their stings are strong enough to paralyze small macroinvertebrates and small fish.

The Eldorado National Forest reiterates the impact of Peach Blossom Jellyfish is unknown, but if you spot them in your local waterways, you are asked to report them to wildlife officials.