Rare transparent jellyfish with prey inside spotted as sightings rise in UK

A rare translucent jellyfish that washed up to the shore was spotted and captured on camera by a photographer at Porth Hellick, a tidal inlet on the south coast of St Mary’s island in the UK. Forty-three-year-old Nikki Banfield recently took pictures of the jellyfish called the ‘Mauve Stinger’, a species mostly found in warmer European waters like the Mediterranean sea. What is even more interesting is that the jellyfish had its prey, a tiny mullet fish, trapped inside its almost transparent body which was clearly visible.

Mauve Stingers are small purple-hued species but are capable of a powerful sting. They emit a bright glow at night, especially when disturbed. Their thin and long tentacles hang down from around the belly, measuring up to 3 meters long.

“It’s always fascinating to see. There’s not many instances where you can see the prey of a creature in a predators stomach!,” said Banfield speaking to Daily Mail . His sighting comes months after hundreds of jellyfish were found in the sea caves off the coast of South Devon.

Rise in sightings

Several types of jellyfish have been spotted on UK shores over the last few months due to the heatwave in British Isles. One of the common species found is Lion’s Mane jellyfish which has the capacity to grow longer than a blue whale. These have the most severe sting, and can often harm their victims. Sightings of Lion’s Mane were reported from Blackpool, Anglesey, and Galway.

Another species spotted recently in Weymouth, Dorset, was Rhizostoma pulmo, commonly known as the Barrel jellyfish. These creatures have 6-foot tentacles that hang beneath them and can grow 35 inches wide and weigh up to 55 pounds.

Dr Peter Richardson, head of ocean recovery at the Marine Conservation Society noted that there had been a significant rise in the numbers of some jellyfish species in UK seas, with the Barrel jellyfish being the most notable. The reason as to why this is happening is still unclear to him.

According to researchers, many of these gelatinous creatures washed up on the beaches of UK last month. Reports suggest that a few beach-goers were harmed by the jellyfish, including three people who were stung by Lion’s Mane in Galway.

Fascinating creatures

Jellyfish are fascinating, soft-bodied marine creatures known for their translucent, umbrella-shaped bodies and long, trailing tentacles. These creatures have existed for over 500 million years, making them some of the oldest living creatures on Earth. They use their stinging cells called nematocysts to capture prey or to defend themselves against threats.

These fishes can range in size from measuring less than an inch to several feet. They are found in oceans all over the world. Some species, like the Lion’s Mane and Box jellyfish, can deliver painful or even dangerous stings to humans.