Monster Jellyfish Invade Gulf of Mexico (Australian spotted jellyfish)

LiveScience.com on yahoo ^ | 8/18/07 | Robert Roy Britt

[NormsRevenge]

Australian jellyfish that invaded the Gulf of Mexico seven years ago have made a "vigorous reappearance" this summer and threaten to devour native fish, scientists announced Friday.

And in the Gulf, with plenty to eat, they grow to monster size.

"In their native waters, they tend to be fist-sized," said Monty Graham of the Dauphin Island Sea Lab. "Here in the Gulf, they can be a big as dinner plates.”

The creatures can weigh up to 25 pounds.

The Australian spotted jellyfish, Phyllorhiza punctata, are not dangerous to humans. But scientists say the invasion could pose a threat to the fishing and shrimping industries. The jellies foul trawling nets and eat eggs and larvae of other fish.

The invasive jellyfish have been found in the Gulf since 2000 but in small numbers. This year, there are more of them, and their range has extended up to the Mid-Atlantic states.

“Reports from the Panhandle of Florida and North Carolina indicate they’re pretty concentrated elsewhere,” Graham said. “We just started getting reports of Phyllorhiza appearing on the east coast of Florida and as far up as North Carolina this year."

Jellyfish can be carried around the globe when they attach to ships. Other studies have found that species of moon jellyfish are invading seas all over the planet. Another study finds jellyfish are opportunists, moving in and taking over regions of the sea that humans overfish.

Officials encourage jellyfish sightings be reported to the Sea Lab's web site.

[NormsRevenge]

. and then there is this..

Another marine invader: cannibalistic alien jellyfish enter the Gulf - invasive species

Giant caribbean nonindigenous jellyfish (Drymonema dalmatina) have entered the Gulf of Mexico and common moon jellyfish are being cannibalized. The pink jellyfish grow to three feet in diameter, and their tentacles can reach 70 feet. They resemble a ragged clump of fiberglass insulation or a blob of cotton candy. This species, first seen in early September 2000, have been reported from Destin, Fla., to west Louisiana. They likely drifted from the Caribbean into the northern Gulf on a current similar to the one that brought hordes of exotic Australian jellyfish to the Coast in May. In some parts of the Gulf, scientists have counted thousands of these jellyfish per square mile.

[Brujo]

Not really a crypto-ping, but still odd fauna.

[the invisib1e hand]

[txhurl]

If they're not poisonous some Californian will figure out a way to make tacos out of them, problem solved.

I adore fryin up a batch of squid, any chance jellyfish taste similar?

[rockinqsranch]

Probably jettisoned from the holding tanks of Algores’ private jet. Looks sumthin’ like Globull Warming doesn’t it?

[Calvin Locke]

I watched that show on deadly Australian jellyfish, and there were some deaths in the Gulf of Mexico reported from them.

IIRC, the bowling ball size ones can kill, or at least stun enough to cause drowning with with a meter or so worth of tentacle contact.

The thimble size ones only have like four tentacles, maybe 3 inches long, and contact with one can kill with the extremes its toxin puts the body through. I think the excruciating effects last on the order of two to three days.

[piasa]

So... can we make ethanol out of them?

[parisa]

I don’t know about giant jellyfish, but last month when we were vacationing in pan handle Florida with friends we all got stung by little tiny jellyfish, and my friend got a rash all over her body which the local pharmacist called sea lice which is common in summer months in Florida. she suggested soaking it in vinegar and not showering or washing it off w/ clear water which would aggravate it more. I’d never seen anything like it.

[piasa]

Sesame Jellyfish

Chile Marinated Jellyfish

[SWAMPSNIPER]

[RepublitarianRoger]

You are referring to the deadly box jellies — Chironex Fleckeri and the irukandji — which are not true jellyfish.

Drymonema dalmatina, however, is not a jellyfish to be trifled with, either. It is highly venomous, possessing over 150 long stinging tentacles. Its nickname is “pink meanie.”

[RepublitarianRoger]

Yep, so called "sea lice" (a misnomer) are fairly common in Florida and Caribbean waters in the summer. Next time, take this along.

[redstateconfidential]

I was popped by a Portuguese Man of War in Destin FL.That was an unpleasant experience to say the least.

[DryFly]

[RepublitarianRoger]

Ouch! No kidding.

I’ve been in the ocean a lot, including being around ‘cudas, stingrays and moray eels, but the worst I’ve had happen to me was getting pinched hard by a big crab I picked up the wrong way.

[parisa]

Thanks for the info. Definitely worth keeping a bottle or two on hand.

[capt. norm]

It's not the jellyfish you should worry about. It's those rarely mentioned jam fish.

These things come up out of the Gulf late at night and they attack in groups, overpowering their victims.

[capt. norm]

I have a question about the Sesame Jellyfish recipe (which I will try).

It says "Let the jellyfish sit in the water for about 15 minutes or until it is tender."

All the jellyfish I've ever encountered appeared to be pretty tender while alive. Maybe that's why we call them "jellyfish".

Seriously, how can you really tell when their tender?

[A knight without armor]

“All the jellyfish I’ve ever encountered appeared to be pretty tender while alive. Maybe that’s why we call them “jellyfish”.

Seriously, how can you really tell when their tender?”

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You can tell they are tender when they cry during the movie Beaches.