When going to distant countries to relax and soak up the sea-ocean, be extremely careful - an unknown and very dangerous world often hides in the depths of the water. One of its brightest inhabitants can rightfully be considered the lion's mane jellyfish, which differs from its other counterparts in its gigantic size and striking beauty. However, its magnificence makes not only admire, but also freeze in horror. How can a meeting with such an inhabitant of the underwater kingdom turn out for a person?
General Description
Lion's mane jellyfish is considered the largest extant representative of its subspecies. Its colorful name is due to its specific appearance - long tangled tentacles really resemble the mane of the king of beasts. Individuals have a very bright color, which directly depends on their size. Large specimens are distinguished by a rich raspberry or purple color, while smaller onesare orange or golden in color. The tentacles in the center of the bell are also a very bright color, with pale silver around the edges.
Sizes
What is the size of the hairy cyanide, and this is exactly what the main name of the "lion's mane" sounds like? The largest specimen that a person happened to observe was found in the USA at the end of the 19th century (1870). The body of this giant had a diameter of about 2 meters 29 centimeters, and the tentacles extended for 37 meters, surpassing even the blue whale in size. It is believed that the bell can reach 2.5 m, but most often it does not exceed 200 centimeters. An important point: the further south a jellyfish lives, the smaller the diameter of its body. As for the tentacles, they can stretch as much as 30 meters, but the weight of individual cyan reaches a fantastic mark of 300 kilograms.
Distribution area
Lion's mane jellyfish prefers cold water, it is found near Australia, New Zealand and even the Arctic coast. The giant lives in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, but almost never rises south of 40 degrees north latitude. Recently, there is information that individuals appear in fairly large numbers off the coast of Japan and China.
Lifestyle
The lion's mane jellyfish lives mainly at a depth of about 20 meters, it leads a calm and extremely measured lifestyle, movinginfluenced by different currents. However, such slowness and passivity should not mislead you, cyanide can be very dangerous. What do jellyfish eat? The answer to this question should put everything in its place. "Lion's mane" is a real predator and perfectly devours small marine animals and fish, it does not disdain plankton either.
Resembling each other like drops of water, jellyfish are still divided by gender. In the walls of their stomach there are special bags in which eggs and spermatozoa mature and wait in the wings. Fertilization occurs through the mouth opening, the larvae mature in the tentacles of the parent in calm, well-protected conditions. Subsequently, the larvae settle to the bottom and become polyps, from which appendages - jellyfish are subsequently separated.
Main danger
The unique appearance and beauty of such a jellyfish, of course, make you admire it, but do not forget that such individuals can be very dangerous. The main threat lies in the presence of special stinging cells containing a significant amount of poison. Upon contact with a person or living being, the goad capsules release filaments that carry dangerous substances.
The poison of the jellyfish is very dangerous for both marine life and humans. In the latter case, of course, it does not threaten with a fatal outcome, but serious he alth troubles will be guaranteed to you. The consequences of communicating with her are manifested in a strong allergic reaction,itching, rashes and other external manifestations. Only one death from contact with this giant marine representative has been officially documented.
Other dangerous representatives
Of course, there are other interesting representatives of this subspecies. In the nomination "The most dangerous jellyfish" a sea wasp could well have won. At present, it is found not only off the coast of Australia, but also in the popular resorts of Thailand, where it is increasingly carried along by the passing current.
Seeing it in the water is quite difficult, since the jellyfish is almost completely transparent. It has a not so big dome (it resembles a basketball in size) and tentacles up to three meters long. The larger their size, the more dangerous the individual and the more carefully it is necessary to avoid contact with it. A large amount of poison causes paralysis and death in the shortest possible time, however, with slight contact, there is a high chance that a person can get rid of painful scars and severe allergies, while remaining alive.
Competitor of the sea wasp - "Portuguese boat", a jellyfish is very conspicuous and not so deadly. It is distinguished by its rich blue color and the desire to swim directly at the surface of the water. Contact with such an instance will lead to the development of allergic reactions and anaphylactic shock.
Unpleasant sensations can also give you original luminous jellyfish. With a strong wave of the sea, they begin to glow, representing a spectacle of unique beauty. By the way, they are distinguished from other inhabitants of their species not only by suchfeature, but also a very specific form of fungus. What do jellyfish of this species eat? Their diet is very simple, it includes plankton and small fish.
