{"id":28814,"date":"2023-07-07T15:17:20","date_gmt":"2023-07-07T13:17:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/?p=12809"},"modified":"2023-07-07T16:39:35","modified_gmt":"2023-07-07T14:39:35","slug":"guide-to-jellyfish-british-species-identification-and-how-to-treat-stings","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/rss_feed\/guide-to-jellyfish-british-species-identification-and-how-to-treat-stings\/","title":{"rendered":"Guide to jellyfish: British species identification and how to treat stings"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jellyfish swarm British seas in the summer months and often wash up along the shoreline. Learn how to identify, what they eat and what to do if you’re unlucky enough to be stung by one. <\/p>

By Carys Matthews\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Friday, 07 July 2023 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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Jellyfish are a fascinating \u2013 and slightly gruesome invertebrate species. Jellyfish have no brain, no blood, and no heart, and are 95 per cent water. Floating along in the sea for millions of years, fossilised imprints of prehistoric jellyfish unearthed in Utah<\/a> 2007 from about 540 million years ago tell us their design has barely changed.<\/p>\n

Warmer weather conditions caused by climate change is bringing in a wider diversity of jellyfish species to our shores, according to a study by the Marine Conservation Society. Generally, there are six common jellyfish species found in the UK.<\/p>\n

Learn more about jellyfish, including how to identify, what they eat and how to treat stings in our expert guide.<\/p>\n

Discover more wildlife found on the UK coast with our guides to rockpool species<\/a>, whales and dolphins<\/a> and seabirds<\/a>.<\/p>\n

When do jellyfish appear in British waters?<\/h2>\n
In UK waters jellyfish blooms, or \u2018smacks\u2019, peak at the height of our summer, and this is when the adult males release their sperm into the sea. The nearby females in the smack suck the sperm up through their mouth into their stomachs where fertilisation occurs.<\/p>\n
The stretch of the Bristol Channel between the Gower Peninsula and the North Devon is the UK\u2019s hottest spot for huge jellyfish blooms.<\/p>\n

More related content:<\/p>\n
British seashell guide: how to identify and where to find<\/a><\/li>\n
Britain\u2019s best coastal caves, arches and stacks<\/a><\/li>\n
Beachcombing guide: things to find along the seashore and best beaches in the UK<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>
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What do jellyfish eat?<\/h2>\n
The opening to a jellyfish\u2019s stomach serves as both mouth and anus. The jellyfish diet is varied and consists of small plants, fish, fish eggs, shrimp and crabs. Some jellyfish species even eat other jellyfish!<\/p>\n
Jellyfish tentacles are lined with thousands of stinging cells known as nematocysts. Each cell contains a spring-loaded, toxic harpoon designed to paralyse and secure prey \u2013 plankton and small fish.<\/p>\n
What eats jellyfish?<\/h2>\n
Leatherback turtles feed almost exclusively on jellyfish. Each year they perfectly time their epic migrations to UK seas to coincide with peak jellyfish numbers in July and August.<\/p>\n
Jellyfish numbers are rising. Studies show that overfishing of plankton-eating fish, such as herring, which predate on the early life stages of jellyfish and compete with the adults, can tip the ecological scales in favour of jellyfish. Collapsing fish stocks have been quickly followed by increasing jellyfish numbers in in the Irish Sea, the South Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Global increases in jellyfish numbers have also been linked to warming sea temperatures through climate change.<\/p>\n
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Lion\u2019s mane (Cyanea capillata)<\/em><\/h3>\n
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