Venomous Jellyfish

• 15 Apr 2024

Source: TH

Recently, a bloom of venomous jellyfish was reported across the Visakhapatnam coast.

• The species, Pelagia noctiluca, also known as the mauve stinger or purple-striped jellyfish, has a painful sting and causes different degrees of illnesses such as diarrhoea, extreme pain, vomiting and anaphylactic shock and can be life-threatening.
• It is a purple-coloured translucent species resembling a floating balloon.
• It is found worldwide in tropical and warm-temperature seas.
• Unlike other jellyfish species, it has stingers not just on the tentacles, but on the bell too.
• These are bioluminescent, having an ability to produce light in the dark.
• A jellyfish bloom is when the population of the species increases dramatically within a short period of time, usually due to a higher reproduction rate. It occurs frequently as a result of rising ocean temperatures.
• These have in the past been known to have caused massive damage to the fishing industry and impacted tourism.

Read more: 505-Million Year Old Jellyfish Fossils