Dog walker warning as 100s of venomous jellyfish with 10ft tentacles that deliver powerful sting wash up on UK beaches
DOG walkers have been warned as hundreds of venomous jellyfish with tentacles that can grow up to 10ft-long have been spotted washed up at popular UK beaches.
Swimmers and surfers have also been told to be aware after a spate of mauve stinger jellyfish were seen in Pembrokeshire, Wales.
Although small, the stunning colourful sea creatures, whose scientific name is Pelagia Noctiluca, can deliver a powerful sting.
A spokesperson for Pembrokeshire Marine Wildlife said: “They’re an amazing sight but please take care if you’re in the water.
“They can deliver a painful sting, just like a blue jellyfish or a compass jellyfish.”
While uncommon in UK waters, swimmers and walkers are more regularly warned over the common compass jellyfish, which can pack a nasty punch.
Marine biologist Keith Hiscock said: “For people who are sensitive, the sting from some jellyfish can be quite severe and may require emergency care.
“If a sting catches you on the face or the lips it can cause problems, people have gone to hospital in the past from jellyfish stings.”
He added: “Mauve stingers are even worse than compass jellyfish and give a much nastier sting.
“You wouldn’t want to go anywhere near them with bare feet, their tentacles which sting you are translucent so when they wash up on the beach they are almost invisible.”
Swimmers are more likely to come across a compass jellyfish rather than a mauve stinger as they are more common.
A spokesman for The Wildlife Trusts said: “Once they have stung something, jellyfish often leave the tentacle behind and can continue to sting using it even when not to connected to their body.”
What are mauve stinger jellyfish?
Mauve stingers are small jellyfish with long tentacles and warty structures on their bells which are full of stinging cells.
Small crustaceans known as amphipods hang out inside the ring of tentacles and are able to survive unharmed.
The mauve stinger likes to feed on crustaceans, other small jellyfish, and oceanic sea squirts, also known as ascidians.
What do they look like?
Mauve stingers are typically up to 10cm in width and have tentacles that can be as long as 3m (10ft).
They have warty structures on their heads (known as bells) which contain their sting.
The marine creatures are usually mauve, pink, or purple in colour and are capable of producing bioluminescent light.
Where can they be found?
Mauve stingers are commonly found either in the Atlantic Ocean or Mediterranean Sea.
This tendency to be found offshore in warmer waters means they’re an uncommon sight on UK shores, according to The Wildlife Trusts.
How dangerous are they to humans?
Humans can be stung by dead or living mauve stingers.
Their stings can cause reddish blisters and swelling but are generally limited to the surface of the skin.
Thankfully, there are no known human fatalities from mauve stingers, and any pain from stings typically subsides after a couple of weeks.