The species is unique to the saline Jellyfish Lake in Palau. The golden jellyfish have zooxanthellae, symbiotic algae, living in their tissues; they swim and rotate throughout the day to ensure the algae have enough sunlight for photosynthesis, and repeatedly dive and come back to the surface - possibly to get nitrogen and food for their algae. The algae supply the jellyfish with energy and nutrients in return. Spotted jellyfish (Mastigias papua) in nearby lagoons have a similar symbiotic relationship.
