Have you seen jellyfish close to the shoreline?
Jellyfish proliferations or blooms are not uncommon and generally occur in the warmer months of the year.
The South African Association for Marine Biological Research (SAAMBR) said certain areas along the KZN coastline have seen a dramatic increase in the number of jellyfish appearing quite close to the shoreline.
The association said these jellyfish proliferations or blooms are not uncommon and generally occur in the warmer months of the year.
It added that the most common cause of jellyfish blooms in KZN is thought to be as a result of temperature variations and ocean and wind patterns.
“The jellyfish we are currently seeing in large numbers are blue blubber jellyfish of the phylum Cnidaria. These beautiful bell-shaped jellyfish get their name from their distinct colouring (usually blue) which is produced by the jellyfish itself and is not a symbiotic algae. Jellyfish ‘swim’ by contracting and relaxing their muscles at the margin of their bells. By contracting these muscles, they tighten the bottom of the bell which forces water out and propels them forward,” said the association.
It added: “Since their mouths are so small (yes, jellyfish have mouths) at uShaka Sea World we feed our jellyfish a combination of two-day-old artemia and rotifers (crustaceans). As people all react differently to jellyfish stings, our aquarists always protect themselves by wearing gloves when working with our jellyfish.”
HAVE YOUR SAY
Like the South Coast Fever’s Facebook page
