Jellyfish can sometimes spoil the fun for vacationers. Now strange fried egg jellyfish are making bathers nervous. But they are also a good sign.
Barcelona – Even though the official bathing season ends in September, the Catalan Mediterranean coast maintains a water temperature of 19 to 21 degrees until October and sometimes November. In July, Spain was hit by an extreme heat wave. The severe storms at the beginning of September showed how unpredictable the weather can be.
Many people still enjoy relaxing on the beach under the sun and swimming in the sea in autumn. But on the coast of Catalonia, plate-sized fried egg jellyfish (Cotylorhiza tuberculata) are currently floating near the beach, reports News agency dpa. Already in August, several Spanish media reported on the rare species native to the Mediterranean, which was also spotted off the holiday island of Mallorca. The newspaper Cronica Balearic wrote on Wednesday that the rise in temperatures had led to a significant increase in the number of jellyfish species on the coasts of Mallorca.
Heat in Spain: More fried egg jellyfish spotted on beaches
They are now back on the beach, especially on the hot days, said a lifeguard in the seaside resort of Sitges, south of Barcelona. The jellyfish, which are harmless to humans, look interesting, but according to the lifeguard, they make bathers nervous. Many holiday areas across Europe regularly suffer from jellyfish infestations – some are highly toxic.
Scientific name | Cotylorhiza tuberculata |
Art | umbrella jellyfish; Assigned to root jellyfish |
lifespan | 6 to 9 months |
distribution | Mediterranean, Spain |
Size | up to 35 cm |
food | Artemia, plankton, small fish, sunlight |
Toxic to humans | No |
As the name suggests, they are reminiscent of an oversized fried egg. The jellyfish’s umbrella can grow up to 35 centimeters. They usually live just below the surface of the water. Although jellyfish are poisonous, not all of them are dangerous to humans. According to the magazine, the stinging cells of the fried egg jellyfish are Tierwelt.ch poisonous, but the nettle poison is weak and therefore harmless to humans. According to a spokesman for the Asociacion de Naturalistas del Sureste (ANSE) the animal species is “a good sign for the recovery of the ecosystem”. It serves as a refuge for many young fish when they hide in them when threatened by predatory fish. In August, a poisonous species of jellyfish caused problems on Spain’s holiday beaches.
Jellyfish in Spain: Anti-jellyfish nets are intended to help
Their increased presence is still a nuisance for most bathers and makes them uncomfortable. Spanish authorities are, like the news magazine News.es reported, alerted again. They fear that the proliferation of fried egg jellyfish will have a negative impact on tourism.
To prevent them from getting close to the beach, “anti-jellyfish nets” are planned to be installed, writes the news magazine. This emerges from a report published by the General Directorate of Fisheries and the University of Murcia on the Canal Mar Menor website. (Vivian Werg)
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