Jellies: Phantoms of the Deep will open tomorrow at the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific.

The exhibit will feature more than one dozen jelly species and interactive exhibits that will educate visitors about sea jelly anatomy, diet and habitat.

A special tank called a kreisel, a German word for carousel, will hold the jellies.  This tank is rounded, with no edges.  Water is brought in from different areas of the tank to produce a gyre effect.

"This gyre produces a circular motion," said Marilyn Padilla, public relations coordinator for the aquarium.  "Otherwise the jellies couldn't move."

"The jellies move by contracting their muscles in the bell area, the curved part.

They push water behind them and they can also move vertically," said Rick Pieper, director of the Southern California Marine Institute.  "Most of the time they just float around."    Jiggling Jellies is a hands-on experience where preschool-age children can register for a two-hour educational program.  They can touch gelatin, which feels like a sea jelly without the bite.

"They do sting, so they are not allowed to touch the jellyfish," Padilla said.

Children will also be able to touch other tide pool animals, such as a sea star and create a jellyfish work of art with paint and paper.

Jellyfish are a common sight along the Southern California coast, Pieper said.

"We have lots of different kinds of jelly fish along our coast," Pieper said.  "They swim freely in the lit part of the ocean."

The most common jelly found in the area are Aurelia.  They have a purplish pigment and are usually one inch in diameter.

The jellyfish found on the Southern California coast are rather small, usually one-half inch to one and one-half inches, Pieper said.

"During warmer water, you will see some jellyfish reaching six inches to one foot in diameter," he said.

Jellyfish are carnivores, Pieper said.  They all eat plankton, and the larger ones eat fish.

"They have relatively few predators because they are mainly water," Pieper said.  Jellyfish are made up of mineral salt, protein and 95 percent water.

Relatives of the jellyfish include corals and sea anemone.  They are all part of the phylum, Chidaria, which include animals with stinging cells.

"With their dart-like coiled projectile, made up of stinging cells, they can inject it into a prey and release a mild chemical toxin," Pieper said.  "However, most are not going to hurt you."

For more information about Jellies or other exhibit, one may call (562) 590-3100.