Fatal jellyfish seen in the Strait of Gibraltar

Fatal jellyfish seen in the Strait of Gibraltar
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By m.p. - Jun 23, 2009 - 3:35 PM
The Environment Ministry says 500 Portuguese Man of War have been spotted

Photo - U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

A large group of a potentially lethal jellyfish has been spotted in the Strait of Gibraltar, near Ceuta, the Environment Ministry has warned this Tuesday. It’s a group of some 500 Portuguese Man o’War, whose venom-filled tentacles can cause severe pain to humans, and can lead in some cases to respiratory difficulties, and even cardiac arrest.

The Portuguese Man o’War is not in fact a true jellyfish, but is a colony of four main types of specialised polyps which are incapable of living without each other. Ecologists describe the sighting in the area as unusual, particularly in such large numbers.

EFE reports that one of the fishermen who spotted the invertebrates in the Strait had to receive medical treatment after suffering a serious reaction to a sting on the hand. One Man o’War was spotted off the port in Ceuta this February, and there were other sightings earlier this year off the coast of Murcia.

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