Mauve stinger
- Scientific name
- Pelagia noctiluca
- Phylum
- Cnidaria
- Class
- Scyphozoa
- Sting-o-meter
- 3/5
- Diameter
- 10cm
The Mauve stinger is a global species that glows in the dark (the translation of its name means ‘night light’). Pelagia noctiluca differs from most other scyphozoan sea jellies as they do not have a polyp stage in their life cycle. They are a small sea jelly (about 10cm diameter) and they can inflict quite a painful sting.
Smacks (blooms) of Pelagia noctiluca have been responsible for beach closures in the western Mediterranean Sea and have killed thousands of salmon in aquaculture cages in Ireland.
For first aid, see Surf Life Saving Queensland fact sheet.
Credit, Denis Riek.
