Jellyfish Tattoo: The Guide for this Charming Animal!
Jellyfish are a very special (and old) animal, and they have truly a nice shape, hypnotical way to move and, you know, getting inked with a jellyfish is really a nice and a beautiful thing, so I have to make this guide.
And, this is what you are going to learn about jellyfish tattoo today:
- First, the main meanings for a jellyfish tattoo today, in all the Western countries.
- Secondly, some meanings in other different cultures.
- And, of course, a lot of different jellyfish tattoo styles for you!
So, let’s move on into the subject.
Table of Contents
Main Meanings for a Jellyfish Tattoo
I’ve selected the Top5 jellyfish tattoo meanings for you, so you can have all in the same guide:
Jellyfish Illustration Tattoo
This is the first example on this guide about a jellyfish tattoo and, as you can see, this design is terrific!
Done in fineline, with a fantastic illustration style and with a ton of realism, this is just a master piece from Linda Jacob, a wonderful woman tattoo artist working at Hood Seve, in Hamburg, Germany.
She is focused on fineline and I you can be sure she is a real master of the subject.
Top 1. Jellyfish Is for Resilience
It may be sounds odd for you at the first time, but let me explain this.
A jellyfish is an animal that have been on earth for 500 million years and, in fact, is one of the oldest animals on earth, surviving all kind of ice ages, and other natural disasters and, moreover, to all the other animals who want to eat them.
Moreover, there is some jellyfish species, like Turritopsis dohrnii, biologically immortal.
And yes, that’s a big WOW.
So yes, jellyfish is for resilience and for to survive, this is the first meaning!
Top 2. Jellyfish Is for Grace
Maybe the second main meaning for a jellyfish tattoo is about grace and to flow, because jellyfish have some hypnotical way to move that amaze us, isn’t it?
And, because of this, a jellyfish tattoo can represent someone’s ability to flow with his own life.
And, nowadays, this is a huge thing!
Top 3. Jellyfish Is for Transformation
Not in all cultures, but in most of them jellyfish is for transformation just because it is a water animal flowing thru the ocean, free and independent.
And, in some culture, this is a huge symbol for a spiritual guide.
So, if you need one, you should try with a jellyfish.
Another Nice Jellyfish Tattoo
Yes, another nice example for a jellyfish tattoo, in illustration style with a lot of realism and, again, in fineline.
As you can see, this kind of tattoos are going to be all along this guide, because is the most usual way to get inked with a jellyfish.
The tattoo is done by Riccardo de Santis, another very talented tattoo artist working at Nembo Tattoo Shop, in Rome, Italy, focused on realism illustration, and another guy you should follow.
Top 4. Jellyfish Is for Mystery
Jellyfish lives in the ocean (of course!) and they can be really deep there.
And, you know, humans know just a little about the very deep ocean, so another meaning for a jellyfish tattoo is the mystery and, sometimes, is about deeper emotions too.
Beautiful, isn’t it?
So, if you want to show an introspective part of your life, or maybe you are trying to connect with your deeper part, it is a good way to show it to the world.
Top 5. Jellyfish Is for Danger
I’m not sure if you know about this jellyfish power, but they have venom inside of them.
And, some of them, like the Australian Box Jellyfish (Chironex fleckeri) can cause the death.
In fact, jellyfish hunts, so they use their stings to catch some fishes and eat them.
And, because of this, a jellyfish tattoo can be for danger, or even for protection.
Some Jellyfish Tattoo Meanings in Other Cultures
But let’s move on into other parts of the world, because, you know, it is not only the US in the world.
Jellyfish are important in a lot of cultures, and I want to show you some meanings you are going to love.
Colorful Jellyfish Tattoo
Look at this one!
This time, the jellyfish tattoo is in a mix between colorful and watercolor tattoo, and I do think it is a very nice combination for a jellyfish tattoo, isn’t it?
The author of this tattoo is Hailey, a very talented woman tattoo artist focused on watercolor with an astonishing color palette on her tattoos.
She is based in Toronto, Canada and, personally, I do love her tattoo style.
Jellyfish Tattoo Meaning in Japan
There is a nice folklore history in Japan about jellyfishes, this is it:
In Japan the god of the sea is Ryūjin, and once he wants to eat some monkey liver because he was ill (yes, do not judge), so Ryūjin tells the jellyfish to go and pick a monkey liver.
But the monkey was really clever and, when the jellyfishes arrived, the monkey told them his liver was in another place, and he have to go and pick it.
The end of the story, the jellyfishes came back to the sea with no monkey liver, and Ryūjin was so mad he had removed the bones of the jellyfishes.
The point of the story: In Japan, a jellyfish is for transformation, but for punishment too.
Another meaning for a jellyfish tattoo in Japan is about impermanence, like the cherry blossom tattoos.
Jellyfish Tattoo Meaning in Polynesia
Maybe you know that the ocean is a sacred thing in Polynesia (and in Hawaii too, of course), and a lot of Polynesian culture is about the ocean and the sea.
If fact, in Polynesian folklore, a jellyfish is believed to be a ‘aumakua, an ancestral spirit, and I think it’s beautiful.
Moreover, some jellyfishes have something called bioluminescence (they can do its own light in the night) so, for some Polynesian, a jellyfish is about guidance.
The Jellyfish Meaning for Greeks and Romans
In the Mediterranean languages, the name for jellyfish is Medusa, and you know, Medusa has a very special part in the Greek mythology, because she is the Gorgon that can transform you into stone with her gaze.
And jellyfishes can paralyze (transform into stone) their victims before they eat it!
So, there is a match between jellyfishes and Medusa, and this is always a very nice thing.
Jellyfish & Butterfly Tattoo
This is a different thing from the others tattoos so far, isn’t it?
This time, it is a “more abstract” tattoo with some jellyfish, butterflies, flowers and some patterns like waves or wind.
I do like the way it is inked, the entire composition and the perfect mix between thick and fine lines with that color, between blue and black.
This spectacular work is done by Enii, a wonderful woman tattoo artist working at Accalmie Studio, in Lyon, France, and Enii is focused on this very personal way to make illustration tattoo.
Finally, Jellyfish Meaning for Native Americans
Last but not least, for Native Americans and Haida culture too, jellyfish was the messenger of the sea, and jellyfishes should guide for the people who respect the seas (not for everyone).
So, they symbolize guidance, but resilience and flexibility too.
And Now, Some More Jellyfish Tattoos for You
This is just a few examples, I hope you enjoy:
Thick Lines Jellyfish Tattoo
Look at this tattoo and let’s study the mixes between styles.
Here you have thick lines, you have some blackwork tattoo and the perfect dotwork for shadowing, all in black ink.
Just another masterpiece!
The tattoo is done by Pajari, a wonderful tattoo artist focused on blackwork and tattoos heavily saturated with black ink tattoos, working from Murcia, in Spain, in a tattoo studio called Muerte Murciélago.
Jellyfish Forearm Tattoo
Another illustration tattoo for a jellyfish and, another time, in black ink with some fineline and realism, and another very eye-catching tattoo, isn’t it?
This time, the tattoo is done by Olesya, a very talented woman tattoo artist working in Lisbon, Portugal, focused on a very personal illustration style, very delicate using fineline with mastery.
You should follow Olesya, I mean it.
Ramen Jellyfish Tattoo
Yes, this is an illustration tattoo about a jellyfish, but, this time, made of ramen with wonderful colors.
And, as you can see, the final result is terrific, I do love it!
The tattoo is done by Skylar Rose Wasserman, a wonderful woman tattoo artist with a very particular tattoo style, because she only ink weird things.
And we do need more people like Skylar in the world.
Blurred-like Jellyfish Tattoo
Look at this wonderful and very personal tattoo style, like a blurred-like tattoo, but with a lot of realism and illustration inside of them.
This woman tattoo artist, called Azraiarain has her own private studio in Eugene, Oregon, and a very personal tattoo style with this blurred-like tattoos, very saturated with black ink, and a lot of dark and creepy artwork I do like a lot.
Watercolor Jellyfish Tattoo
Look at this wonderful tattoo about another jellyfish, this time, colorful, with very nice watercolor style technique and, moreover, with a very personal touch.
I want you to take a lot at two different things in this tattoo:
First, the linework for the tentacles in a really fineline with a perfect finish.
Secondly, the color shadowing in the upper part of the tattoo.
And, as an extra ball, with this amazing color palette.
This masterpiece is done by Eunyu, a wonderful woman tattoo artist from Seoul, but based in Los Angeles, California, of course, working at Vism Studio.
Blue Jellyfish Tattoo
And, talking about vibrant colors, here you got another fantastic tattoo work.
This time, a blue jellyfish with some flowers, done on an illustration but realistic style.
I do love the color mix between the pink and the blue one, as well as the fantastic finish, in fineline and in the shadowing.
This tattoo is done by Cheeu, another tattoo artist really talented working all around the world, but based in South Korea, focused on botanical tattoo with a very special personal brand.
Cute & Funny Jellyfish Tattoo
You can have a funny tattoo with a jellyfish too, like this one, all done in black and gray style, with very thick and bold lines, a perfect shadowing, an a very cute eyes and mouth.
This lovely tattoo is made by Adela, a wonderful woman tattoo artist working in Sacrilege Tattoo, in Montreal, Canada.
Hyper Realistic Jellyfish Illustration Tattoo
Look at this pretty one!
This time, as you can see, it is a hyper realistic jellyfish tattoo, done with a very beautiful illustration style, all in black ink.
The best part (for me) about this tattoo is the perfect linework in all the composition, with a perfect definition and an astonishing movement feeling.
The tattoo is done by Kayron Loureiro, working at Lobão Tattoo Studio, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, of course.
Jellyfish Tattoos Are a Nice Thing to Get Inked
Well, this is the end of this guide.
As you may see, a jellyfish tattoo can be something magnificent, funny, with different and deep meaning and, at the end of the day, something beautiful to get inked.
I hope you have enjoyed this guide!
Some FAQs About Jellyfish Tattoo Meaning
What do jellyfish tattoos symbolize?
It depends on the culture but, in Western ones, is about resilience, but for grace, transformation, mystery or danger too!
What are jellyfish a symbol of?
Jellyfish has a lot of meaning, maybe the Top 5 are resilience, grace, transformation, mystery and danger.
What does a jellyfish tattoo mean LGBT?
Well, jellyfish is a non-binary animal, so it is connected with some LGBT communities, but jellyfish are not a main symbol for them, like rainbow is, for example.
Where do you put a jellyfish tattoo?
Almost every place in the body is a good place for a jellyfish tattoo, but maybe back, leg or shoulders are the most popular options.
