Beware The Lions Mane Jellyfish Stings

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 deluded by the size of the biggest Lion’s mane jellyfish found. Although it had such huge sizes doesn’t mean that the rest of the Lion’s mane jellyfish are the same. However the ones that inhabit the northern seas and oceans of the globe are bigger, because of the cooler temperatures. But those who inhabit the not so close to the north parts are smaller in size and usually are maximum 45-55cm in diameter and tentacles no longer than 25m. The Lion’s mane jellyfish tentacles are very sticky and allow it to easily capture its prey.

At the moment the Lion’s mane jelly is considered the longest animal on Earth with the length of the largest specimen at 36.5m it is longer than the great Blue Whale which is currently known as the largest animal in the world. Their bodies are usually shaped like an eight-pointed star. From the center of their body comes out an array of colorful arms. The color of the Lion’s mane jellyfish depends on its age. While the bigger ones usually have a dark purple color the smaller ones usually have a dark yellow – light orange color. The Lion’s mane jellyfish mainly feeds on plankton, small fishes and moon jellies, but it also has a lot of enemies like sea turtles, larger fishes and other jellyfishes to which it is considered a prey.

The main residence of the Lion’s mane jellyfish is near the ocean surface. It’s rather rare when they go under 20m depth. The main way they move is by using water currents and wind, but they can also move on their own using body pulsations to go forward. Lion’s mane jellyfish can be seen mainly in the end of summer and autumn when the flocks in which they move increase in size and they get moved near the coast by water currents.

Interested in learning more about the lion’s mane jellyfish? We recommend that you visit our website JellyfishFacts.Net. You can learn alot about jellyfish and jellyfish stings.