If you suddenly feel an itch on your leg while swimming in the ocean, it’s very likely that you’ve been stung by a jellyfish. Jellyfish are extremely soft, consisting of 95% water and primarily made up of a gelatinous substance known as Mesoglea. With such a fragile body, they survive thanks to the toxins contained in specialized cells shaped like harpoons, called Cnidocytes, which are used for defense and capturing prey.
Adult jellyfish have a bell shape with a dome on top and tentacles surrounding it. The largest jellyfish species is the Lion’s Mane Jellyfish, with tentacles that can reach over 30 meters long, even longer than the largest animal, the blue whale.
The tentacles of jellyfish contain numerous tiny harpoons filled with venom coiled within hollow, tube-shaped capsules. When physical or chemical stimuli activate the receptors, the caps of these capsules pop open, allowing seawater to rush in, which propels the venomous harpoons to pierce the skin and inject toxins into the victim. These harpoons can be fired in less than 1/1,000,000 of a second, making it one of the fastest biological-chemical processes in nature.
Harpoons can be fired even after the jellyfish is dead, so if you are stung, it’s crucial to remove any remaining tentacles from the skin. After that, rinsing with vinegar will deactivate any unactivated venom capsules. Seawater can help wash away any remaining venom capsules.
Do not use regular water because the change in salt concentration will alter osmotic pressure, activating the venom capsules. Additionally, using folk remedies like pouring urine on the affected area can also be harmful, depending on the urine’s composition.
The wounds from jellyfish stings can be very painful, causing significant discomfort, especially for young children. To reduce pain, swelling, and prevent the jellyfish toxins from spreading on the skin, you can apply ice to the affected area.
Jellyfish stings can be mild or severe. If mild, after following the above steps, the itching may subside. In severe cases, the victim may not only feel pain and swelling at the sting site but may also experience fever, seizures, nausea, and difficulty breathing…
For any unusual or dangerous symptoms, after first aid, it’s essential to quickly take the injured person to the emergency room for timely treatment to avoid health risks or even fatalities.
Most jellyfish stings are merely uncomfortable and bothersome, but they can occasionally be fatal. The Indian Box Jellyfish, also known as the sea wasp, possesses venom that can cause heart muscle atrophy and death in large doses.
Despite having impressive stinging tentacles, jellyfish can still be defeated. The venomous harpoons cannot penetrate the thick protective skin of jellyfish predators like sea turtles and sunfish. Moreover, jellyfish-eating animals have special jaws with backward-facing spines in the mouths and esophagus of turtles and backward-curving teeth behind the cheeks of sunfish to prevent slippery jellyfish from escaping.
Jellyfish are quite friendly with other species in the ocean; tiny shrimp larvae often hitch a ride on jellyfish to find food while they move. Small fish weave between the tentacles and use jellyfish as a mobile reef for protection. Sea slugs eat jellyfish tentacles and convert the toxins into spines on their backs for defense.
Even humans benefit from jellyfish. Scientists are exploring ways to use the venom capsules to inject medication into the body, as these harpoons are only 3% the size of regular syringes.
