Where You can find Stingless Jelly fish in Indonesia? (Magnificent Seven Of East Borneo)

Stingless Jellyfish of Indonesia

Location :

In the world : Indonesia and Palau

Indonesia

1. Kakaban Island, East Kalimantan Province.
2. Jellyfish Lake, Sembilan Islands, Komodo National Park, East Nusa Tenggara province,
3. Mariona Katupat Lake, Togean Natioanl Park, Central Sulawesi province,
4. Karwapop Lake, Misool Island, Raja Ampat, West Papuan province,
5. Lenmakana Lake, Misool Island, Raja Ampat, West Papua province,
6. Danau Tumalol, Misool Island, Raja Ampat, West Papua province,
7. Lohia Lake, Muna Island, South East Sulawesi province,
8. Landu Island, Rote, East Nusa Tenggara Province,
9. Paisu Batongan Lake, Mbuang Mbuang Village, Banggai Kepulauan District, central sulawesi Province.

Kakaban Island, Berau District, East Kalimantan Province

We can find stingless jellyfish in the Kakaban lake which is located at Kakaban Island, a small uninhabited island in the archipelago of Derawan.Administratively, Derawan Island is in the Maratua Subdistrict, Berau Berau District, East Kalimantan.

Geographical position of Kakaban Island is at coordinates 02o08'35 "North Latitude and 118o31'13" East Longitude. Islandit has a length of 6 km, a width of 2.5 km and an area of ​​774.20 ha.

The Kakaban Lakelocated in the center of the island has a length of 2.6 km, a width of 1.5 km, an area of ​​about 390 ha, with a maximum depth of 11 m.

The shape of the island and the lake resembles the number nine and is dominated bya small hilly karst land with a shallow surface soil layer. Kakaban Lakes is formed from a ring-shaped coral island called an atoll. Generally, the land atolls that emerge from the surface of the sea are narrow andcircular. In the middle of the atoll there is a kind of pool filled with sea water called a lagoon or goba. The existence of movement of the earth's crust plates and various geological activitiescomplex on the east coast of Borneo, causing this coral atoll slowly experiencing lift (up lift) as high as 40-60 m above the surface of the sea. This process is estimated to have formed over 1-2 million years. Sea ​​water in the middle of the atoll is trapped and cannot come out again, and formed a lake that seemed to be hugged by the existing land around it. because of the appearance that this lake got its name: "Kakaban".

In the local language "kakaban" means "hug". Although isolated, Lake Kakaban still retains the character of this lake as a lake with salty / brackish water. because at the bottom of the lake there are various kinds of holes, channels,or small cracks that allow the exchange of lake water with the marine environment surrounding.

Jellyfish species of kakaban lake.

A. Upside-down jellyfish (Cassiopea ornate) (15-20 cm);

B. Moon jellyfish (Aurelia aurita) (5-50 cm);

C. spotted jellyfish (Mastigias Papua) (1-20 cm);

D. Box jellyfis (Tripedalia cystosphora) (7-10 cm)

Moon jellyfish is the largest type of jellyfish. The body of Moon jellyfish can recognizable by its slightly transparent white color with a clover leaf motif on the end of the hood. This clover-like structure is actually the gonads of the jellyfish. The spotted jellyfish (Mastigias papua) is the most common type of jellyfish densely populated in Kakaban Lake. Due to isolation for thousands of years, jellyfish who live in the Kakaban Lake undergoes evolution to have different physical characteristics from Their family who lives in the sea. Lack of predators causes the sting glands (nematocyst) in jellyfish are reduced so that they are very small and is no longer effective as a stinging weapon for their prey. In the ecosystem of Kakaban Lake, which is almost devoid of predators and has an excellent food source abundant, the presence of the sting gland is no longer necessary.

Another type of jellyfish in Kakaban Lake is the box jellyfish (Tripedalia cystophora) which is smallest jellyfish species in Kakaban Lake. Despite its smallest size, Jellyfish from this type family (class Cubozoa) are known as the jellyfish group with the most deadly sting power. However, like other types of jellyfish in Kakaban Lake, The nematocyst glands of the box jellyfish in this lake have been reduced to nothing harm to humans. Another unique type of jellyfish found in Kakaban Lake is the upside-down jellyfish (Cassiopea ornata). Called upside down because the hood is on down position like a cauldron, while the tentacles waving upward. This jellyfish is classified as an animal that specializes in life at the bottom of the water. Upside-down jellyfish get food from zooxanthella, microalgae that "reside" in their body tissues. This jellyfish and zooxanthella live in a mutually beneficial symbiosis (mutualistic). Zooxanthella can produce their own food through photosynthesis and supplies energy to its jellyfish hosts. And zooxanthella get nutrients and protection from jellyfish. Mostly zooxanthella in jellyfish it is concentrated on the underside of the hood and tentacles so to maximize the photosynthesis process. jellyfish turn their bodies, like an inverted umbrella facing the sun.

In Kakaban Lake there are white anemones (Actinidae family) that can with savage prey on the jellyfish Cassiopea ornata dan can devour jellyfish completely. The anemone can stretch its mouth and stomach so big so that it can swallow the whole body of jellyfish which are much larger. Although this anemone does not have stinging cells (nematocysts), it doesvery strong adhesion (sticky) which can grip its prey with tightly.

Location Access :

# Option 1:

The land route starts from Samarinda, take the Damri Bus to Tanjung Redeb The capital of Berau Regency (approximately 16 hours) then change to the minibus travel to tanjung batu port (approximately 1.5-2 hours) then continued by speed boat to Derawan Island (approximately 30 minutes). from Derawan Island to Island Kakaban takes a speed boat for about 1 hour.

# Option 2:

Air route start from Samarinda, take a plane from APT Airport Pranoto or from Balikpapan Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman Airport to Kalimarau airport Tanjung redeb with approximately one hour later can follow land route take a minibus to Tanjung Batu like the route above, or can take advantage of The speedboat from the Tanjung Redeb dock directly goes to Derawan Island or Maratua Island. or you can also take a pioneer plane from Kalimarau Airport towards Maratua airport.

# Option 3:

Air route start from Samarinda, take a pioneer plane from APT airport Pranoto to Maratua airport. then from Maratua Island to Kakaban Island it only takes 30 minutes by fast boat.

the article of stingless jellyfish has written by Edelweiss Blogger and translated by Hairudin Aleksan. hairudin is a vlogger and local guide from east Kalimantan. you can see his vlog on youtube about indigenous people called Dayak From Mahakam River.