Jellyfish

[Rick Murchison]

We do get them in US waters - the big boys - by the gozillions throughout the Gulf of Mexico and on the East coast. They are also thick on the Mexican coast south of Matamoros. Indeed, in the winter there will be times when there is a solid blue line of them washed up on the beach from Galveston all the way to Vera Cruz.
Don't remember seeing any on the West coast, so I assume that's where captdave must be.
Rick

 

[captdave]

You said it rick.
I am indeed on the west coast and the sea of cortez Mexico..So I guess the answer is it depends on where you are and the type you encounter.

 

[Fishkiller]

I can understand the confusion over jellyfish types, I dove on a trip with a gentleman Named Russ Conway who runs a shop in Tucson Arizona, and good trips to San Carlos, a few months back. Russ has dove those waters for years. I was impressed with Russ's knowledge so took a trip to his shop to ask him about my jellyfish. After futher consulting with my dive buddy and another diver who witnessed the event here are the truer facts.


I surfaced briefly "like a whale", DC PC log supports this, while I was turning to go back down is when I was stung. I had pulled the jellyfish under before smacking it with my fin.

What type of jellyfish according to Russ was "a Agua Mala Portuguess Man O War. The treatment for such is Vinegar and Water, the best is spray Benadryl" which they carry on the dive boat.

I was shown a picture of the jelly in a purple book called I believe "Invertabrates of the Sea of Cortez" I own this book but don't have it near me


Thank you all for your inputs, now I just have to get a dive skin

 

[joewr]

What the article that I found actually said was, "The effect of vinegar on the nematocysts of the smaller species (which has less severe stings) is mixed: vinegar inhibited some, discharged others. I.e., sometimes it worked, sometimes, not.

So, if you want to be "safe", it would seem the prudent thing to do is to (1) pick off the remaining tentacles, and (2) flush with salt water.

CaptDave, if the U of A published the experimental result, it would be interesting to be able to read a copy.


Joewr

 

[uwsince79]

First Aid Procedures vari when dealing with Jellyfish. Rick your post was excellent and well written. I live in the SE US and we do get quite a bit of Mon-O-Wars and have been stung quite a few times. I do not get a reaction from them , on the other hand if my sister gets stung. We have to take her to the emergency room ASAP. But according to DAN’s HMLI Procedures, there are quite a few irrigation techniques for jellyfish stings, but do remove the tentacles with tweezers, gloves, or forceps. (Then remove gloves.) Depending on the SPECIES you can irrigate with vinegar, baking soda, papain powder or solution, or rubbing alcohol(Except for a Box jelly.) Rinse with Salt Water or Saline solution if you cannot use the above irrigators. It is also good to shave the area with shaving cream and a razor. After that is done you then apply hydrocortisone cream or lotion. Of course watch for any type of allergic reaction and or infection.

You should AVOID Irrigating with fresh water or Ice.
Do not Rub Skin or apply sand.

So I think the confusion comes in on what species to treat with what solution and that all depends on your area and the type of jelly that has stung you. Do the research and you will know how to treat the sting.

I also do not think the chemical make up of the venom/toxin differs from the large Pacific MOW to the Smaller Atlantic MOW (At least I could not find it in Any Marine Biology Reference that I have access to. If anyone out there does have some text I would like to know if there is any) so the treatment should be the same.

 

[joewr]

Well, gang,

Here is one more site for your edification and education. Note that there are jellyfish that look like a Portuguese Man-o-War.

Enjoy:

http://www.aqua.org/animals/species/jellies.html


And, I think Fishkiller came to the correct conclusion regardless of the species ident issue: full exposure suit!

Joewr...who remembers Zoology 1A with some fondness....

 

[joewr]

Gang,

Thanks to you guys I have learned more about jellyfish in the last three days than in the last three years! At any rate, I hope this is not kicking a dead horse...or horse mackeral!

Dr. Peter Fenner, National Medical Officer for Surf Life Saving Australia has written the following:

"Vinegar totally inhibits the firing mechanism for the nematocyst of every cubozoan tested to date. Chirodropids usually have adherent tentacles that are torn off and remain on the skin. The longer they remain on the skin, the greater the envenomation as more nematocysts fire. Vinegar prevents this. HOWEVER, VINEGAR CAUSES ALL(MOST?) OF THE NEMATOCYSTS OF Cyanea TO DISCHARGE AND IN SOME Physalia SPECIES (APPROX 30% OF THE PACIFIC P.Physalis)." (The upper case letters are mine.)

So, unless you are certain you can identify the species of Portuguese Man-o-War (Physlia), it would be prudent to NOT use vinegar. However, since, in the lab tests done by Fenner, only ca. 30% fired off when treated with vinegar, THE PROBABLITY IS ONLY 3 CHANCES IN 10 THAT YOU WILL WORSEN THE DAMAGE. On the other hand, BY USING JUST SEA WATER OR SALINE SOLUTION, THERE IS 0 PROBABILITY THAT THE DAMAGE WILL WORSEN.

This probably explains the differences between what Rick and CaptDave have experienced.

Joewr...resident jellyfish researcher...on paper, anyhow...

 

[Rick Murchison]

Bobby mentioned papain... and I have to mention that the one fatal Portugese Man-o-War case I know of in Florida was a woman who went into shock and died after they applied papain to the sting! We have absolutely no idea if the papain had anything to to with the death, but because of that incident we're scared of it.
Rick

 

[joewr]

Rick,

The papain-related death is cited in the "Hawaii article" I posted earlier. I checked through Fenner's work and could find no additional references to it. So, my conclusion remains: remove the remaining adhering parts of the MOW(with gloves on or with a "stick") and rinse the area with sea water or saline solution; use hydrocortison cream if you wish; see a doctor if the pain and swelling persist.

And, Fishkiller, see how much trouble you caused because you did not have a diveskin/wetsuit on?

Joewr...saying, "Go ahead, make my day: ask me a question about jellyfish or man-o-wars!"

 

[Fishkiller]

I can not go to the dive shop until my dive skin comes in.. UPS can be so SLOW.....