How Does a Jellyfish Sting?
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Jellyfish are not actually fish. They are gel-like sea creatures. Jellyfish are found in deep and shallow waters of every ocean on Earth. They live in fresh and salt water, and come in a variety of shapes and sizes. There are over 1,700 species of jellyfish.
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Most jellyfish stings are not fatal, but anyone can have an allergic reaction to a sting. This is known as anaphalaxis, and can be fatal. Some types of jellyfish do have a fatal sting, such as the Box jellyfish, or cubozoa. Even if the sting isn't deadly, they are very painful and require medical attention. The treatment for a jellyfish sting depends on the type of jellyfish the sting came from and they type of water they're in. For example, if fresh water is applied to a salt water jellyfish sting, this could cause more venom to be released.
When a person, fish or animal comes into contact with a jellyfish, the triggers inside the nematocysts fire and the stingers on the tentacles are pressurized and release venom. One nematocyst can have thousands of stingers that fire and inject venom.
A swimmer can be stung by a jellyfish in the water or by a loose tentacle floating in the ocean. Sometimes the tentacles come off of the jellyfish after a storm. It is also possible to be stung by a jellyfish that has died and washed ashore. The tentacles can still sting after the jellyfish is dead, so caution should be taken whenever there is contact. -
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Jellyfish have tentacles with nematocysts attached. These nematocysts are sacs that are full of poisonous venom. After a jellyfish sting, these tentacles and nematocysts can still be attached to the skin and need to be removed. Jellyfish tentacles can be longer than 100 feet.
The cells that sense touch are on the outside of the jellyfish, on its epidermis, or skin. When this nerve net is stimulated, it sends a signal through nerve rings and reacts with a defensive sting. Jellyfish also sting when their tentacles are touched.
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