Sunday, March 4, 2012

Beware The Lions Mane Jellyfish Stings

Được đăng bởi Travel - Leisure
By Annette Rose


It is impossible to go on a vacation near a sea or ocean without seeing at least one jellyfish there. They are one of the most multiplied sea creatures which although beautiful and attractive may possess a threat to your health and those around you. However not all jellyfishes are so dangerous. For instance the Lion's mane jellyfish is the biggest known jellyfish on earth. It usually inhabits the cold waters of the Arctic, Atlantic and Pacific oceans. And to show you the vast sizes of those species we can tell you that the biggest specimen found had a body diameter of 2,3m and with tentacles at 36,5m.

Don't be misled by their big size. Although they may be big their sting isn't a mortal threat to humans, because there isn't a report in which someone has died because due to Lion's mane jellyfish sting. However if you get hurt by one make sure to seek medical help as soon as possible. The sting will cause severe pain and the stung place will turn red.

However don't be confused by the astonishing sizes of the largest species of Lion's mane jellyfish found. The fact that one specimen had such vast sizes doesn't make the other specimens also so big. For instance the specimens which inhabit the north oceans are quite big and can reach such sizes, but the specimens that inhabit the other oceans most often reach up to 60cm diameter with tentacles up to 30m. The tentacles of the Lion's mane jellyfish are its main weapon for hunting due to their ability to stick to the prey, disabling its movement. The length of the tentacles is the biggest joker of the Lion's mane jellyfish when hunting, because it can easily reach the prey without notifying it of its presence.

Although most of you think that the Blue whale is the biggest animal or earth the Lion's mane jellyfish is actually longer than it. With the largest specimen set at 36.5m length it easily beats the Blue whale. The bodies of the Lion's mane jellyfish are shaped like a star with eight points. Lion's mane jellyfishes change their color depending on their age. For instance the old ones are usually dark purple while the younger ones have a light orange - dark yellow color. The food that the Lion's mane jellyfish devours is mainly small fish, plankton and other jellyfishes. Because of its huge size it is considered as prey to many sea inhabitants like larger fishes, sea turtles and other jellyfishes.

The Lion's mane jellyfish specimens mostly spend their time near the top of the surface of seas and oceans and rarely submerge under 20m of depth. Due to their big size they don't rely on their body pulsations for movement, but instead count on wind and water currents to move them around. The time when you have the biggest chance to see a Lion's mane jellyfish is in the beginning of the autumn and the last days of summer when the strong winds and water currents carry their flocks near the coastal line.




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