📖 Jellyfish Survival: Zap-Proof Tricks & Tasty Shipwrecked Snacks
Jellyfish in Don't Starve: Shipwrecked
Complete 2025 Guide to Harvesting, Using & Mastering Jellyfish
Jellyfish Overview
Players often ask how Jellyfish work in Don't Starve: Shipwrecked – where to find them, how to harvest them safely, and what to do with them. This guide answers those questions with up-to-date info on mechanics, uses, combat tips, farming strategies, recent patch changes, community tricks, and relevant mods.
We also compare regular Jellyfish to Rainbow Jellyfish (the glowing variant). Use this as a toolbox-style reference to master jellyfish in Shipwrecked.
| Aspect | Jellyfish (Regular) | Rainbow Jellyfish |
|---|---|---|
| Spawn & Habitat | Spawn in shallow ocean; one new jellyfish spawns every 60 seconds to replace any killed. Often found in small groups. | Appear in open ocean (medium/deep water) near the Volcano. Large groups spawn during New Moon nights at the Volcano and migrate outward. |
| Behavior | Passive (will not chase or flee). Shocks attacker on melee hit for 5 damage (unblockable by armor). | Passive (does not flee). No shock on attack – safer to approach. Will migrate back to Volcano after the New Moon event. |
| Uses | Food: Dead Jellyfish can be eaten raw (10 hunger/10 HP) or cooked (18.75 hunger/10 HP). Used in crafting Particulate Purifier and Brain of Thought. | When eaten raw, gives a rainbow glow around the player for ~90 seconds. Same food value as regular jellyfish. Helps with Volcano navigation. |
| Renewability | Infinite – new jellyfish spawn over time to replace those killed. | Renew on New Moons – a finite event rather than constant respawn. |
Quick Tip
Both types of jellyfish are excellent food sources, but Rainbow Jellyfish provide the unique benefit of personal illumination when eaten raw. For safe harvesting, wear Snakeskin Hat/Jacket for electrical insulation or use a Bug Net to avoid shocks entirely!
Mechanics: Spawning, Behavior & Habitat
Jellyfish Spawn & Habitat
In Shipwrecked, jellyfish are common denizens of the shallow ocean (the lighter-colored sea near islands). The game maintains their population dynamically: approximately every 60 seconds, a new jellyfish will spawn to replace any that have been killed.
This means you'll never run out of jellyfish – they are effectively an infinite resource as long as you leave the ocean and return (or keep moving) to let spawns occur.
Jellyfish often roam alone or in small clusters, drifting with the waves. They do not migrate or change zones seasonally (their presence is relatively constant year-round in shallow waters).
Passive Nature
Regular jellyfish are completely passive creatures – they won't chase, bite, or intentionally harm the player. You can swim or wade right up next to one without fear of an aggressive reaction.
However, if you attack a jellyfish with a melee weapon, it will automatically retaliate by discharging electricity, zapping the player for a small 5 health shock. This shock hit is instant and unavoidable once you strike – think of it as a static shock reflex.
Importantly, this lightning-like zap ignores armor (armor won't reduce the damage), but the damage is very low (5 HP per hit). Jellyfish will not continue attacking or chasing; the shock is a one-time passive defense.
Shock Mechanics
Each melee attack on a jellyfish triggers a 5 HP shock
Shock damage ignores armor protection
Shock cannot be avoided once melee hit is delivered
Safe Approaches – No-Shock Methods
Wear Electrical Insulation
Equip either a Snakeskin Hat or Snakeskin Jacket (or both) before attacking jellyfish. These items provide lightning protection, which completely nullifies the jellyfish shock effect.
Use a Bug Net
Catch jellyfish alive with a Net or Trawl Net. Using a net on a jellyfish will scoop it into your inventory without triggering any shock. You can then "murder" it from your inventory to obtain the dead jellyfish item.
Ranged Attacks
Use Boomerangs, Spearguns, Ice Staff, or Sleep Darts to attack jellyfish from a distance. Ranged attacks do not trigger the shock because you're not making direct contact with the jellyfish.
Special Variant – Rainbow Jellyfish
Rainbow Jellyfish were added in the Home Sea Home update (late 2017) and differ significantly from regular jellies:
- They spawn in different waters: around the Volcano island and in medium/deep water
- During every New Moon, large groups spawn near the Volcano and migrate across the sea
- Unlike regular jellyfish, Rainbow Jellyfish do not shock the player when attacked
- They emit a soft multicolored light at night, making them visible from a distance
- When eaten raw, they cause your character to glow for about 90 seconds
Navigation Tip
Rainbow Jellyfish migrations can help you locate the Volcano! During a New Moon, they spawn at the Volcano and travel outward. To find the Volcano, simply follow the direction they came from (opposite their movement).
Uses: Food, Cooking, Crafting, and Utility
Eating Jellyfish – Raw vs Cooked
As soon as you pick up a Dead Jellyfish, you can eat it raw or cook it for better benefits:
- Raw: +10 Hunger, +10 Health, 0 Sanity
- Cooked: +18.75 Hunger, +10 Health, 0 Sanity
- Dried: +25 Hunger, +10 Health, +20 Sanity
Rainbow Jellyfish provide the same nutritional value, but eating them raw gives you a glowing effect for about 90 seconds, which keeps Charlie (the night monster) away.
Crock Pot Cooking
Jelly-O Pop
- 1 Jellyfish (any form)
- 1 Ice
- 1 Twig ("Inedible")
- 1 Filler (e.g., ice or twig)
- +20 Health
- +12.5 Hunger
- Cooling Effect
Surf 'n' Turf
- 1 Jellyfish (counts as fish + monster)
- 1-2 Fish (to reach 1.5 fish total)
- 1-2 Meat (to reach 2.5 meat total)
- +60 Health
- +33 Hunger
- +5 Sanity
Ceviche
- 1 Jellyfish
- 1 Fish (any fish item)
- 2 Ice
- +20 Health
- +25 Hunger
- Cooling Effect
Recipe Warning
Jellyfish count as both fish AND monster food in recipes. Using two jellyfish in a Crock Pot might result in Monster Lasagna (which hurts health and sanity). Limit yourself to one jellyfish per recipe unless making a Jelly-O Pop!
Crafting Uses
Particulate Purifier (Gas Mask)
Protects you from poisonous gas clouds in the Volcano or from Poisonous Fog.
- 1 Jellyfish
- 2 Empty Bottles
- 3 Coral
Brain of Thought
A magical hat that lets you prototype crafts without a station and access exclusive Volcano/Ancient recipes.
- 1 Jellyfish
- 1 Brainy Matter
- 2 Rope
Volcano Appeasement
Not a craft, but you can sacrifice jellyfish to the Volcano to prevent eruptions.
- 4 Cooked Jellyfish
Combat Tactics and Harvesting Strategies
Jellyfish Harvesting 101
Get Insulated Gear
Craft a Snakeskin Hat or Snakeskin Jacket to protect yourself from electrical shocks. These provide full immunity to jellyfish zaps.
Approach Carefully
Use a boat or wade into shallow water to reach jellyfish. They won't flee or attack, so take your time positioning yourself.
Attack or Capture
With insulation gear, hit them with a weapon (2-3 hits will kill). Alternatively, use a Bug Net to catch them alive with no shock risk.
Collect & Process
Pick up Dead Jellyfish from the water. If you caught them alive, "murder" them from your inventory when ready to use them.
Bulk Harvesting – New Moon Strategy
One of the most efficient times to harvest tons of jellyfish is during a New Moon, specifically for Rainbow Jellyfish. On new moon nights, a swarm of Rainbow Jellies will spawn around the Volcano and travel outward.
With a Trawl Net or just a trusty Cutlass + snakeskin hat, you can go on a harvesting spree. Each live jelly caught or killed will be replaced by another after the event (next new moon), so you're not endangering the population.
A good tactic is to use a Cargo Boat with a stack of trawl nets: deploy a net, sail through the cluster to catch ~5-9 jellyfish, then empty it and repeat. This yields a massive catch without any shock risk.
Volcano Appeasement Strategy
In Dry Season, the Volcano starts rumbling and will erupt if not appeased. One excellent strategy is to use your surplus jellyfish as sacrificial offerings to completely prevent eruptions.
The Volcano's Altar of Snackrifice accepts offerings once per day to delay eruptions. It turns out that 4 cooked jellyfish per day will satisfy the Volcano fully, preventing it from erupting at all.
Daily Volcano Appeasement Routine:
- Each morning after the first volcano warning shake, go to the Volcano
- Cook 4 jellyfish on a fire pit (or bring 4 pre-cooked jellyfish)
- Toss all 4 cooked jellyfish into the Altar of Snackrifice
- The Volcano's anger meter will reset, preventing eruption that day
Notable Changes & Patch Updates
- Dried Jellyfish now restore Sanity (+20) and more Hunger (25)
- Previously, dried jelly gave ~20 hunger and 0 sanity
- This buff makes ocean yields more worthwhile
- Rainbow Jellyfish can now be used as valid Crock Pot ingredients
- Fixed various cooking-related bugs with special items
- Rainbow Jellyfish now behave identically to regular ones in cooking recipes
- Rainbow Jellyfish were introduced to Shipwrecked
- Added glowing effect when eating raw Rainbow Jellyfish
- New migration mechanics during New Moon events
Update Overview
The most significant change to jellyfish in recent patches is the buff to Dried Jellyfish, which now provide sanity recovery in addition to hunger and health. This makes them even more valuable as a food resource, especially during challenging seasons like Monsoon when sanity management is difficult.
Community Tips, Tricks, and Notable Uses
Kill Every Jellyfish On Sight
"Please, for the love of god, take advantage of rainbow jellyfish, if you see one murder it on sight."
- Reddit User
Every jellyfish = 10 HP + 10 hunger (raw) or more if cooked, so leaving them alive is leaving value on the table (unless you're intentionally farming them later).
Healing and Survival
Many players treat jellyfish as on-the-go healing items. Unlike spider glands which heal 8 HP but hurt sanity, jellyfish heal 10 with no downside.
When prepping for fights (like Sealnado or Tiger Shark), bringing a stack of cooked jellyfish or jerky can keep your HP topped up between bouts.
Light Strategy
Follow Rainbow Jellyfish like a trail of stars. If you're sailing on a New Moon and suddenly see a constellation of glowing dots in the distance, that's a jackpot of rainbow jellies.
Many players treat Rainbow Jellyfish as "living miner hats" – they'll intentionally eat a rainbow jelly when dusk falls during a sailing trip, granting themselves a personal light to get back to land safely.
Volcano Navigation
"The easiest way to find the Volcano is to observe the Rainbow Jellyfish migration on a New Moon and sail in the direction they came from."
Use the new moon swarm as a big arrow pointing to the Volcano (handy if you haven't uncovered it yet). Follow them in the opposite direction they're traveling to find the Volcano island.
Key Long-Term Tip
Never underestimate how renewable jellyfish are. They embody the core Shipwrecked idea of living off the sea. Early on, many players focus on islands for food (berries, coconuts, boars, etc.), but the ocean's infinite resource (jellyfish and seaweed) can carry you indefinitely.
If you find yourself low on food or health, hop on a raft and patrol the shallow waters – within a day you can gather more sustenance than many islands could provide.