The Venomous however stunning blue bottle jellyfish, also known as the Portuguese man-of-war, has been sighted on the one of many well-known seashores within the metropolis — Juhu — over the past three days.
To spread awareness and educate people on avoiding contact with this marine species in addition to the measures to be taken in the event of a sting, the Mangrove Cell and Marine Life of Mumbai (MLOM) — a gaggle of marine fanatics, has been putting up several sign-boards along the beach in association with the Marine Life of Mumbai (MLOM), a group of marine enthusiasts.
Every year, the brightly coloured marine hydrozoans get washed onto the shores as a result of the monsoon winds. The sting of the deceptively beautiful creatures can, however, be astonishingly painful. It is an annual phenomenon for the bluebottle to clean up on the shores throughout this season, as these deep-sea creatures are pushed by the monsoon winds. Some specialists have stated these creatures come to the shore due to the rise in temperature of the seawater.
Onshore, they get caught within the sand and return with the tide. Most, nonetheless, die on the shore. They have a clear gas-filled bladder that helps them float together with tentacles.
While many people get stung after stepping on these creatures or while picking them up. The sting from a bluebottle causes a burning sensation in people and tends to trigger swelling with red or purple rashes. Experts recommend that the sting is extra harmful when an individual is within the water. On being stung, specialists recommend pouring seawater on the affected area without rubbing it or even washing the wound with heat water. Victims are suggested to go to hospitals and to not pry the creatures.
Numerous bluebottles had washed ashore on a number of seashores in Mumbai in 2018, and over 150 individuals, together with a number of kids, ended up being stung at widespread seashores like Girgaum Chowpatty, Juhu and Aksa.
Shaunak Modi, director of Coastal Conservation Foundation, who documented the marine species on Juhu seashore last week, tweeted, “Last few days of strong onshore winds have brought our yearly monsoon visitors back to our shores. Thousands of Portuguese man o’ war have been stranded at Juhu beach today.”
What are these beautiful but dangerous blue bottoms?
The Portuguese man-of-war—a colonial organism related to the jellyfish—is infamous for its painful sting, A Portuguese man-of-war is actually a colony of individual organisms called polyps. The Portuguese man-of-war is a siphonophore, an animal made up of a colony of organisms working together. The man-of-war comprises four separate polyps. It gets its name from the uppermost polyp, a gas-filled bladder, or pneumatophore, which sits above the water and somewhat resembles an old warship at full sail. Man-of-wars are also known as bluebottles for the purple-blue color of their pneumatophores. Man-of-wars are found, sometimes in groups of 1,000 or more, floating in warm waters throughout the world’s oceans. They have no independent means of propulsion and either drift on the currents or catch the wind with their pneumatophores. To avoid threats on the surface, they can deflate their air bags and briefly submerge.
Portuguese Man of War Stings!!
Man-of-war tentacles have coiled stingers that have a very powerful and painful venom. The tentacles can grow to 165 feet long. The man-of-war sting is meant to paralyze small fish until they can be eaten. In humans, reactions can be mild to moderate. In rare cases, it can be life-threatening.
After a sting, the tentacles leave long, stringy red welts on the skin. The welts last from minutes to hours. There is local pain, burning, swelling, and redness. This rash may come and go for up to 6 weeks. Cramps, fever, sweating, weakness, faintness, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea may also occur in stronger reactions. Over-the-counter medicines are used to treat generalized symptoms of pain, itching, and swelling. Severe reactions require hospital treatment.
Prevention and care of the Stings
These tips can help prevent and care for a sting:
- Before swimming in oceans or bays, check local beach reports for warnings of Portuguese man-of-wars. Don’t swim in the water when they are present.
- If you find one washed up on the beach, don’ touch it. Even dead man-of-wars or detached tentacles can sting.
- If you are stung, rinse the area with saltwater. Apply concentrated vinegar solution if available. This will inactivate the stingers and prevent the release of more toxin. Then with a gloved hand try to remove the tentacles.
- Put the affected area in hot saltwater for about 20 minutes.
Get some medical care for moderate to severe reactions.