Florida Jellyfish Species

The most recent threat for beachgoers is a species of marine life that not many think of outside of nature shows and exotic locations.

Florida jellyfish species. In fact the by the wind sailor operates in exactly the same way the man o war does using currents tides and wind to traverse the open sea with tentacles trailing. This animal has no blood brain spine heart or gills but he has stinging cells on his tentacles and other body parts. There are also other types of stinging jellyfish. Florida has several different species of jellyfish.

There is a case of three military combat divers in the florida keys who suffered symptoms that resemble those of a person stung by the deadly irukandji jellyfish normally found in pacific waters but it is not known for certain what species stung the divers. Mother nature is a force to be reckoned with but when it comes to the ocean humans are the ones who play in her domain. Jellyfish are 95 percent water and most are harmless but some can cause mild rashes to extreme allergic reactions. The box jellyfish can be identified by its box shaped bell.

He may jiggle like jelly but this guy is mostly water. Box jellyfish are found in the tropics including hawaii saipan guam puerto rico the caribbean and florida and recently in a rare event in coastal new jersey. The by the wind sailor velella velella is another jellyfish found on florida beaches that is not a true jellyfish but a colonial species like the portuguese man o war. Jelly fish are not true fish either american public aquariums have popularized the term jellies or sea jellies instead.

This species of box jellyfish are named chiropsalmus quadrumanus that has been previously collected by florida fish and wildlife staff offshore of brevard county florida. Cocoa beach florida a venomous and potentially deadly species of jellyfish are in the water and washing up onshore in cocoa beach florida on sunday august 30 2020. Sometimes called sea wasps box jellyfish are highly dangerous and more than 8 species have caused deaths. He lives with fish but the jellyfish isn t a fish at all.

The most common species in florida are man o war box jellyfish mauve.