Do Moon Jellyfish Sting? Here's What You Need To Do If You Got Bitten

Moon jellyfish (Aurelia aurita) or moon jelly found in open sea waters have hundreds of fine and short tentacles that are seen on the bell part, unlike the long, potent tentacles found in other jellyfish species.

Moon jellies are the least dangerous species to come in contact with humans. Moon jellies are abundant in the world with their conservation status common currently.

The world's oceans are filled with these aurelia species and live peacefully with all other species of jellyfish in the big wide waters. During summer seasons, people go out to surf and swim on the beaches more, and it usually leads to encounters with common jellyfish stings.

Before you try your luck in the open ocean, it is important to first understand the stings of moon jellyfish or other jellies.

While some jellyfish stings can be lethal, most stings you encounter from moon jellyfish are mild and can be treated with basic remedies.

The tentacles of a jellyfish have stingers and when these tentacles touch your skin when near the ocean, the stingers inject a venom that can cause red blisters. Moon jellyfishes (Aurelia aurita) are not considered types of predators as they only have a diet of small fish.

The tentacles from the edge of the bell of the moon jellyfish are the stingers. The member of the genus aurelia is considered harmless as it does not have many powerful stinging cells.

Moon jelly are also not good swimmers and will often be found on the shore of oceans.

The stinging power of a moon jelly is not strong enough to penetrate the human skin of adults and children alike, but if you do get stung, you might feel a minor stinging sensation.

A mild irritation might occur but it is not something to be scared of. It is a very familiar situation when you go for a boat ride in Florida and the Gulf of Mexico and even when you walk on the shore of the beaches near the natural habitat of the moon jellyfish.

The purple or pink flower-shaped moon jellyfish feed only on small fish and plankton and if you get stung, do not worry about the venom.

Absolutely do not pee on the site on your body because the legend of peeing on the stung area of a jellyfish curing it is actually a myth.

The quickest and the easiest way to treat a moon jellyfish sting is to rinse the area with seawater. If it still persists, mix seawater and baking soda to reduce the irritation quickly.

Keep these points in mind in the future.

If you enjoy this article, why not also read about do moon jellyfish have eyes and dangerous fish here on Kidadl?

Do moon jellyfish sting humans?

Moon jellyfish (Aurelia aurita) do have the capability to sting and penetrate human skin, but if you are just touched or scratched by one, you will just feel a little stinging sensation.

Aurelia aurita or moon jellyfish has the conservation status common, which means that the population of the jellies is found all over the world. Moon jellyfish sting and you can easily find some species in the Mexican Caribbean areas.

Moon jellyfish lack long tentacles with venom common with other species of jellyfish. Instead, they have smaller tentacles that might sting a human in the wild but usually do not.

Even if the jellyfish does sting you, the pain will be mild and treatable. The jellyfish usually prey on small fish, mollusks, and plankton and will often be the prey of other animals in the water.

The toxicological characteristics are also different in the moon jellyfish.

As it is not a strong swimmer, you will often find the jellyfish lying on the coast. We are familiar with the bell-shaped adult floating jellyfish called medusa, but there is another stage to the jellyfish too, called a polyp.

It won't be seen on the coast, as it will be on the water surface. The adults however release sperm, fertilize eggs, and reproduce sexually.

Moon Jellyfish Sting Treatment

Moon jellies do not move and only move with the water current of the sea. It is important to understand the toxicological aspects of a moon jellyfish sting.

In the natural habitat of the round jellyfish, they won't sting you as their stingers cannot penetrate human skin, and even if they do sometimes, it won't pain much. Pet animals walking on the beach might be affected sometimes too.

You should wash the skin with seawater. The micro-sized tentacles need to be removed at first. Otherwise, they might hurt later. Vinegar can also be used to wash away the stinger cells.

Anti-inflammatory cream can be used to reduce the symptoms of a moon jellyfish sting. Do not use urine or alcohol as some might suggest. Hands and towels should also not be used as they might activate more stingers attached to the skin.

How long does a moon jellyfish sting last?

If you do not attend to your moon jellyfish sting, the symptoms might stay for as long as 10 days at a stretch.

The stings will pain for just one to two hours and then subside. This is different for other species of jellies.

Moon jellyfish stings are not as potent and won't hurt if you take precautions in time. It won't even trouble you at first except for some irritation. But the same cannot be said about all types, so it is necessary to look out for jellies when walking in coastal areas.

What does a moon jellyfish sting look like?

Moon jellyfish are quite unique in the way they look and are often seen on the coasts of the seas all over the world.

Moon jellies are recognized by the four circles seen through the translucent white bell. The four circles are the reproductive organs found in the bottom of the stomach area and are purple in color. You can easily spot them washed up on the coast.

The larva searches for a place to attach itself in shallow water and then finds the seafloor. As it attaches itself to the floor, the larva grows into an upside-down medusa, also called a polyp.

In the polyp stage, a moon jellyfish larva breaks off into many clones of itself that swim to different parts as medusae and then mature into moon jellyfish that reproduce sexually. You might sometimes find moon jellyfish found washed on the coast of all of the world's oceans.

A polyp can live for years at a time and create more polyps.

Don't go near the moon jellyfish as it might sting you and although most stings do not cause harm to human cells, some still might. The sting will look like a red rash on your skin and will vary in size according to the contact.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for doing moon jellyfish sting, then why not take a look at do all jellyfish sting or moon jellyfish facts pages?