Annoying to dangerous: Portraits of eight jellyfish – Journey

The moon jellyfish

Here it is: The moon jellyfish, which belongs to the umbrella jellyfish, gets its name from the four ring-shaped sex organs, which differ in color from the jellyfish’s screen. The almost transparent jellyfish with few color accents can grow to the size of a plate and can be found in almost all oceans, usually in large groups. For several years there have been mass accumulations of moon jellyfish in the North and Baltic Seas and animals have been washed onto the beaches.

This is how dangerous she is: not at all. Where moon jellyfish occur in large groups, this is annoying for bathers. But the animals’ venom is weak and their stinging cells cannot penetrate human skin.

The sea walnut

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Here it is: The sea walnut actually lives on the coasts of North and South America. But now she can also be found in the Baltic Sea – she probably crossed the Atlantic Ocean as a stowaway on a freighter. The species, which belongs to the comb jellyfish, only grows about five centimeters in size and can lay up to 1000 eggs a day. The problem: the sea walnut is virtually insatiable and has virtually no predators in the Baltic Sea. Especially in the warmer months, it multiplies explosively and eats away the food from the local fish stocks. This threatens to permanently damage the ecosystem of the Baltic Sea.

This is how dangerous she is: not at all. The sea walnut has neither poisonous stinging cells nor tentacles and cannot harm humans. However, Baltic Sea vacationers must expect to see the slimy animals more and more frequently in the summer months.

The lung jellyfish

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Here it is: Anyone who goes swimming in the Mediterranean knows the lung jellyfish. You can meet them in the water as well as on the beach. Its pink and white peak with a purple border can be up to a meter in diameter; Lung jellyfish are among the largest jellyfish species in the Mediterranean. Last year there were flocks on the Italian Adriatic coast, and this summer they are appearing regularly on Mediterranean beaches, for example on the Côte d’Azur.

This is how dangerous she is: hardly. Despite its considerable size, which is certainly frightening for swimmers, the lung jellyfish only has weak stinging cells, which can cause minor skin irritation on contact.

The fire jellyfish

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Here it is: The species colloquially called fire jellyfish is actually called yellow hair jellyfish. It lives mainly in the Atlantic, the Red Sea, the Mediterranean Sea and the North and Baltic Seas. Their umbrella can reach a diameter of up to 50 centimeters. Particularly striking is the large number of their long tentacles, which are mostly red, yellowish or completely transparent – like a thick head of hair, which is why the animals are also called lion’s mane jellyfish.

This is how dangerous she is: painful but harmless. The meter-long tentacles can cause skin reddening and pain that lasts for hours at the slightest touch. Stronger, but not life-threatening reactions can occur, especially in people with allergies.

The luminous jellyfish

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Here it is: This close relative of the yellow hair jellyfish is also often referred to as the fire jellyfish. However, the luminous jellyfish are much smaller, they grow to a maximum of ten centimeters. As the name suggests, they possess the ability of bioluminescence: their pink to purplish-brown body glows faintly in the dark or when jolted. Luminescent jellyfish are found in all seas – they prefer warmer waters like the Mediterranean and live in huge swarms that can stretch for miles.

This is how dangerous she is: Be careful here! On contact you immediately feel a strong pain, the skin reddens and forms blisters – followed by itching for days. It can also cause nausea, vomiting and headaches.

The compass jellyfish

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Here it is: Their distribution areas include the Atlantic, the Mediterranean and the North Sea. There are other types of jellyfish on the menu of the compass jellyfish. The animals reach a diameter of about 30 centimeters and are particularly noticeable due to their symmetrically running brown stripes on their light screen. Their spiraling tentacles possess both stinging and sticky capsules, allowing them to paralyze their prey.

This is how dangerous she is: painful but not dangerous. Although the compass jellyfish is not one of the most poisonous species of jellyfish, contact can lead to severe and burning skin irritation, which can be very painful for days.

The Portuguese Galley

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Here it is: Although primarily jellyfish in appearance, the Portuguese galley belongs to the sea bladder genus, a contiguous colony of polyps. The small body floats through a filled gas bubble on the water surface – numerous blue-violet tentacles hang from it, which can be up to 50 meters long. The wind likes to drive the animals from the Pacific to the coast of the Canary Islands, Balearic Islands and Portugal.

This is how dangerous she is: Particular caution is required here! The list of symptoms that can result from contact with their tentacles is long: extreme pain, red wheals on the skin, nausea, fever, breathing problems and even cardiovascular shock. For allergy sufferers or weaker people, touching it can be fatal.

The sea wasp

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Here it is: The sea wasp is one of the most venomous sea creatures in the world. With a cube-shaped screen averaging 14 centimeters wide and tentacles up to three meters long, the animal, which belongs to the box jellyfish, appears comparatively inconspicuous. However, their poison can destroy cell walls, blood cells and nerves. In Australia and the western Indo-Pacific, beaches where sea wasps appear are regularly closed.

This is how dangerous she is: The venom of the sea wasp penetrates quickly through the skin into the bloodstream and nerve cells, where it can lead to paralysis of the skeletal and cardiac muscles and, in the worst case, to respiratory failure. Without treatment, life is in danger within minutes. An antidote has existed for a number of years, but it must be administered quickly. Wounds from such an encounter also heal extremely slowly.