The force is very much with The National Sea Life Centre Birmingham!

With Star Wars fever already running high, seven Sarlacc Jellyfish have been welcomed to the ever growing weird and wonderful family of sea creastures, at The National Sea Life Centre Birmingham.

Fans of the epic American space franchise will be familiar with Sarlacc, who first appeared in Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi, as a multi-talented alien beast with an insatiable appetite, which is mirrored in the jellyfish, and one of the reasons these cool creatures were given this name when they were made an official species in 1997, and coincidentally, there is seven jellyfish now at the attraction, one to mark each film in the franchise.

Sarlacc Jellyfish can grow to huge proportions with a bell diameter of up to one metre and tentacles reaching a staggering five or six metres! It is set apart from other jelly fish by its dark pigmentation and what’s more, they’re the largest invertebrates to have been discovered in the 20th Century.

Curator at The National Sea Life Centre Birmingham, James Robson, said: “I’m so excited for visitors to get up close and personal with the Sarlacc Jellyfish and to learn about the amazing traits of this fascinating species.

“It’s always a massive perk of the job when we welcome new arrivals, and this swarm is no different. I’m sure this rare stinging species will be a fantastic addition and I can’t wait to learn more about them, as not too much is known about the behaviour of this species so it will be great to be able to see their characteristics first hand.”

The Jellyfish join the attraction as part of the Breed, Rescue, Protect Programme, which operates in every Sea Life globally and does everything it can to protect our oceans and the creatures within it. 

For further information or to pre-book tickets online before your visit please go to www.SEALIFE.co.uk/birmingham/. Reduced prices are available for tickets booked in advance.

For regular news, updates and competitions, The National Sea Life Centre Birmingham is also on Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/sealifebirmingham and Twitter https://twitter.com/sealifebham. You can also keep up-to-date with what Ginny the Gentoo has to say by following her on twitter at https://twitter.com/ginnygentoo.