Sayonara, Tamagotchi -- Jellyfish are the new pet craze

March 22, 1998
Web posted at: 11:56 p.m. EDT (2356 GMT)

SAN FRANCISCO (CNN) -- Move over, pet rock. Sayonara, Tamagotchi. The coolest pet to own in Japan these days is the jellyfish, and the trend is starting to catch on in the San Francisco area.

The serene, floating nature of the jellyfish seems to captivate -- and relax -- its owners. Ranging in price from $7 to $50 per fish, jellyfish are less expensive than paying for the food and upkeep of a dog or a cat.

Watch the jellyfish do their thing
	2.06MB/40 sec./240x180 1.22MB/40 sec./160x120 QuickTime movie

But these are definitely not low-maintenance pets. They require a perfect ocean-like environment, with just the right balance of food, light and water flow, necessitating a master with a great deal of tank-keeping experience.

Indeed, some fish store owners refuse to sell them because they say the invertebrates are so fragile that they belong in an ocean, not in a tank.

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