We are talking about the freshwater species *Craspedacusta sowerbii*. This alien species for Belarus was first detected in 2018 using DNA analysis, writes the "De facto. Belarusian Science" channel.
Tatsiana Lipinskaya and Vital Semenchanka report in the "Russian Journal of Biological Invasions": the freshwater jellyfish *Craspedacusta sowerbii* Lankester, 1880 is an alien species for Belarus, first detected in 2018 using environmental DNA analysis.
In recent years, the freshwater jellyfish has been found in the Pripyat, Pina, Dnieper, Berezina, and Neman rivers. In 2024, residents of Vitebsk observed a mass development of jellyfish in the Dvina. This is the first alien invertebrate species in the Dvina basin.
Freshwater jellyfish reach up to 25 mm in diameter. The reason for their spread may be water warming: the optimal temperature for their appearance is 28 °C.
The jellyfish can compete for food with some local organisms. This species is generally characterized as safe for humans, but skin reactions after contact with it have been reported.
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