THE South African Association for Marine Biological Research (SAAMBR) has released a statement on the increase of jellyfish appearing quite close to the shore along the coastline of KwaZulu-Natal. SAAMBR says these blooms of jellyfish are not uncommon and generally occur in the warmer months of the year.
According to SAAMBR, the most common cause of jellyfish blooms in KZN is thought to be a result of variations in temperature and the patterns of the ocean and wind.
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“The jellyfish we are currently seeing in large numbers are blue-blubber jellyfish of the phylum Cnidaria. These bell-shaped jellyfish get their name from their distinct colouring (usually blue) which is produced by the jellyfish itself and is not a symbiotic algae,” says SAAMBR on their Facebook page.
“Jellyfish ‘swim’ by contracting and relaxing their muscles at the margin of their bells. By contracting these muscles, they tighten the bottom of the bell which forces water out and propels them forward.”
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The uShaka Sea World staff say they feed the jellyfish tiny crustaceans called artemia and rotifers.
Because many people have a story or two to tell about jellyfish stings, and people can react to the stings, SAAMBR says their aquarists always protect themselves by wearing gloves when working with the jellyfish.
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