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Bay swimmers feel sting as jellyfish thrive

Posted by: Maven on April 19, 2009 at 6:30 am

From the San Francisco Chronicle:

Schools of creepy brownish jellyfish known for their painful stings are lurking in San Francisco Bay waving their long, poisonous tentacles like they own the place. Dozens, if not hundreds, of sea creatures known as Pacific sea nettles have been spotted in the bay feeding on small fish and plankton when they aren’t stinging swimmers.

One touch from a nettle’s long, brown tentacles will result in a powerful, numbing jolt that can hurt for hours and sometimes days.

The gelatinous creatures are relatively common in the ocean along the West Coast, but nobody can remember so many of them floating in bay waters at one time. The critters, known scientifically as Chrysaora fuscescens, are darker and bigger than the Moon or Bell jellies, which are frequently seen in the area.

Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle by clicking here.

April 19, 2009 · Filed Under Bay Area

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