Initial contact with a man-of-war may produce only a small number of stings. Pain may be accompanied by headaches, shock, collapse, faintness, hysteria, chills, fever, nausea and vomiting. Symptoms include severe shooting pain described as a shock-like sensation, and intense joint and muscle pain. The man-of-war can inflict extremely painful stings. Under the float, tentacles equipped with thousands of stinging cells hang from the feeding polyps which extend as much as 30 to 60 feet. The gas-filled float of the man-of-war is purple-blue, up to 10 inches long. Though they visit our coast only infrequently, swimmers should learn to identify these highly venomous creatures. Propelled by wind and ocean currents, they sometimes drift into nearshore waters of South Carolina. They typically inhabit the tropics, subtropics and Gulf Stream. These animals consist of a complex colony of individual members, including a float, modified feeding polyps and reproductive medusae. ![]() A similar species, the four-tentacled Tamoya haplonema, also occurs in our waters.Īlthough closely related to jellyfish, the Portuguese man-ofwar is not a “true” jellyfish. Several long tentacles hang from the four corners of the cube. Sea wasps are strong, graceful swimmers reaching 5-6 inches in diameter and 4-6 inches in height. Their potent sting can cause severe skin irritation and may require hospitalization. Known as the box jelly because of its cube-shaped bell, the sea wasp is the most venomous jellyfish inhabiting our waters. Exercise caution if sea nettles are observed in the water, and do not swim if large numbers are present. This species causes most of the jellyfish stings that occur in South Carolina waters. Four oral arms and long marginal tentacles hang from the bell and can extend several feet.Ĭonsidered moderate to severe, sea nettle stings are similar to those of the lion’s mane. Pain is usually restricted to immediate area of contact.Ĭommon in the summer, this jellyfish is saucer-shaped, usually brown or red, and 6-8 inches in diameter. Contact can produce prickly sensations to mild burning. The moon jelly is only slightly venomous. It typically reaches 6-8 inches in diameter, but some exceed 20 inches. It has a transparent, saucer-shaped bell and is easily identified by the four pink “horseshoes” visible through the bell. Probably the most widely recognized jellyfish, the moon jelly occurs infrequently in South Carolina waters. The mushroom jelly does not represent a hazard to humans. This species is also considered a pest by commercial fishermen, but they are much less of a problem than cannonball jellies. Like the cannonball, the mushroom jelly has no tentacles and a chunky feeding apparatus, but differs in its long fingerlike appendages that hang from the feeding apparatus. The larger mushroom jelly, growing 10-20 inches in diameter, lacks the brown band of the cannonball and is much flatter and softer. The mushroom jelly resembles the cannonball jelly, but differs in many ways. Pain is relatively mild and often described as burning rather than stinging. Stinging symptoms are similar to those of the moon jelly but, usually more intense. The bell, measuring 6-8 inches, is saucer-shaped with reddish-brown oral arms and eight clusters of tentacles hanging underneath. Lion’s ManeĪlso known as the winter jelly, the lion’s mane typically appears during colder months. ![]() Commercial trawl fishermen consider them pests because they clog and damage nets, and slow down fishing. They have no tentacles, but they do have a firm, chunky feeding apparatus formed by the joining of the oral arms.Ĭannonballs rarely grow larger than 8-10 inches in diameter. Cannonball jellies have round white bells bordered below by a brown or purple band. During the summer and fall, large numbers of this species appear near the coast and in the mouths of estuaries. ( Stomolophus meleagris) Cannonball jellyfish are the most common jellyfish in our area, and fortunately, one of the least venomous. Below is some great information from South Carolina Department of Natural Resources to use as reference. Learning how to identify the different species can help you decide which ones can be safely ignored. Although most jellyfish that inhabit South Carolina waters are harmless to humans, there are a few that require caution.
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