How big exactly is the lion's mane jellyfish?
The lion's mane jellyfish gets its name from the orange-yellow tentacles around its mouth that flow like a mane. It lives in colder waters, including the Arctic Ocean, the North Atlantic and the North Pacific, and is rarely found below 42 degrees north latitude. It feeds on zooplankton, small fish and other jellyfish. Now let's take a look at just how big the lion's mane jellyfish really is!
How big exactly is the lion's mane jellyfish?
The lion's mane jellyfish is one of the largest jellyfish in the world. Its bell-shaped body can reach 2 m, and specimens 7 feet (about 2.1 m) long have been seen. It can weigh 200 to 400 kg. Its tentacles usually come in eight groups, up to 150 in total, and can grow longer than 35 m; they are used to catch food and defend against enemies. Its lifespan is usually around 4 years. The bigger it grows, the deeper purple its body becomes, and at the same time its tentacles turn red.
How venomous is the lion's mane jellyfish?
The lion's mane jellyfish is a creature that can kill people, though it rarely appears in places frequented by humans. The stinging cells on its tentacles contain venomous needles and sacs filled with venom, which can cut a person's skin when the jellyfish entangles them, letting the venom enter the body. After being stung, people often develop symptoms such as rash, redness and swelling, itching, pain and lowered blood pressure, and even difficulty breathing, fainting, shock and death.
What are the most venomous jellyfish?
1. Box jellyfish: each of its tentacles carries enough venom to kill 50 people, and it can stop a person's heart and lung function within 3 minutes. Since 1884, at least 5567 people have died from this animal, and the death rate it causes is even higher than that of snakes, sharks and saltwater crocodiles.
2. Portuguese man o' war: the lethal venom in the Portuguese man o' war is secreted by tiny stinging cells in its tentacles. Although the venom secreted by a single stinging cell is negligible, the potency of the venom accumulated by thousands upon thousands of stinging cells is no less than that of any venomous snake in the world today.
3. Sand jellyfish (Nemopilema nomurai): adult sand jellyfish have a bell diameter of 25 to 60 cm, with a maximum of nearly 1 m. The outer surface of the bell is smooth, and the mesoglea is thick and firm. Its stinging cells are highly venomous. After a person is stung, the skin becomes red and swollen, with pain and itching; in severe cases it causes shock and even death.
4. Lion's mane jellyfish: the lion's mane jellyfish is a creature that can kill people, though it rarely appears in places frequented by humans. The stinging cells on its tentacles contain venomous needles and sacs filled with venom. Once the venom enters the body, it rapidly causes paralysis and death.