No Blood, No Bones, No Brains
The Mauve Stinger
By Mr. S.
Photo by Richard Weninger
Editor's Note: I think it's time for Mr. S. to get a job.
A few days ago I was walking along Marsamxett Harbour only to see thousands, if not millions, of reddish jellyfish floating in the water. The next day they were all gone – except for one lonely left-behind. How could that be?
It’s typical of jellyfish to come in swarms. Some reproduce sexually which explains them appearing in these swarms. As they have no brains and don’t really know where they’re going, ( no, Ilene, I’m not talking about men )--they just get taken along by prevailing currents and end up on certain beaches one day; the next day they’re all gone.
Instead of a brain, jellyfish have a so-called nerve net--a network of nerves that can detect various stimuli. This triggers the jellyfish sting when touched by other animals or human swimmers.
One of the most frequent Mediterranean jellyfish is Pelagia noctiluca, also called the Mauve stinger. Nomen est omen! Their poison is not lethal for humans, but painful. The best treatment is to apply cold water or ice and avoid rubbing (heating) the affected areas. Some people advise applying vinegar to the wound, but that’s only for Box jellyfish stings. Vinegar only makes other jellyfish stings worse.
There are several theories why the Pelagia noctiluca is becoming a frequent visitor to the Maltese coasts. The main reason is probably that fishing removes the jellyfishes’ main competitor for food, thus leaving more food for the jellyfish to feed on in the Maltese water. Also, there may be more food in the ever warming water, possibly caused by global warming.
So the best we can do is to hope for lots of dolphins and sea turtles that feed on jellyfish, and to try to keep out of their way as they can’t see us, but we can see them-- hopefully, before they sting.

