In this article, we’ll answer the question:
“Are jellyfish friendly?”
First, you’ll find a short summary about the friendliness of jellyfish in general, then get specific answers about these sea animals like are jellyfish nice to humans, can they be petted, are they friendly to each other, etc.
Jellyfish, also called sea jellies, are in the subphylum Medusozoa, which is a major part of the phylum Cnidaria. A jellyfish is a free-swimming marine animal with tentacle arms that contain stinging cells to capture prey.

Are Jellyfish Friendly?
Jellyfish are not friendly to humans but they do not purposefully attack people either. A jellyfish lacks a brain and heart so it does not have feelings or instincts to be friendly or unfriendly to humans or other animals.
Jellyfish only have nervous and digestive systems that allow these sea creatures to reply to stimuli and eat food. A jellyfish also has stinging cells called nematocysts in their tentacles that can be painful to humans when stung. There are also some jellyfish that have deadly venom that can be very dangerous to people and other sea animals.
Do Jellyfish Like Humans?
Jellyfish do not like humans or enjoy people at all. A jellyfish does not have a brain to think or create emotions when these sea animals sense a person is close to them in their habitat.
Do Jelly Fish Like Being Petted?
Jellyfish do not like or dislike being petted because these sea animals do not know that they are being touched by a human. A jellyfish cannot feel the touch of a hand or sense that it’s being petted by a person.
Also, you would not want to pet a jellyfish beause they have stinging cells in their tentacles that can cause pain, itching, redness, numbness, and tingling sensations in your body. According to Kids Health, “stings from some types of jellyfish — such as the box jellyfish (also called sea wasp) — are very dangerous, and can even be deadly.” However, it is quite rare that the sting results in cardiac arrest and death.
Can You Train A Jellyfish to Be Friendly?
You cannot train a jellyfish to be friendly because these sea animals only repsond to stimuli. A jellyfish does not have a brain, heart, or blood to allow it to make decisions like being friendly to humans or other animals.
According to the National Ocean Service, “They are composed of three layers: an outer layer, called the epidermis; a middle layer made of a thick, elastic, jelly-like substance called mesoglea; and an inner layer, called the gastrodermis. An elementary nervous system, or nerve net, allows jellyfish to smell, detect light, and respond to other stimuli.”
As you can see, a jellyfish is not a living creature like other sea animals that can think for themselves or respond to their environment based on emotions or instincts.
Are Jelly Fish Friendly With Each Other?
Jellyfish are not friendly with each other and cannot bond with other jellyfish. A jellyfish is a self-sufficient sea animal that has no feelings or attachment to other species of jellyfish.
Do Jelly Fish Have Feelings?
Jellyfish do not have feelings or emotions, and cannot feel happiness, sadness, sorrow, or anger. A jellyfish can only respond to stimuli without any feelings attached to the response.
How Do Jelly Fish Show Affection?
Jellyfish do not show affection because they do not have brains to experience emotions. Jellyfish are not affectionate with other jellyfish, marine animals, or humans.
Are Jellyfish Dangerous?
You can visit our other guide about are jellyfish dangerous to find out how harmful these sea animals are to people.

Are Jellyfish Nice Summary
You now know the answer to the question about are jellyfish friendly to humans and each other.
As you discovered in this guide, jellyfish do not like human beings or dislike people because they do not have a brain to think or emotions to express feelings. These sea animals are also not friendly or unfriendly to one another in the wild and in a zoo. Therefore, are jellyfish nice or not is irrelevant because they just float around in the ocean in nature and captivity.

I’m the lead editor and writer for Animal Answer Guide. I enjoy sharing expert knowledge on the various characteristics of common species within the five distinct groups of animals: amphibians, birds, fish, mammals, and reptiles.