Potentially lethal Portuguese Man-of-War Jellyfish invades the New Jersey shore

The Portuguese Man o’ War is often confused with jellyfish, which may lead to improper treatment of stings, as the venom differs from that of true jellyfish. The species is originally from Portugal and brought a good dose of its poison with it when it invaded our land. The Portuguese Man-of-War is more accurately described as a siphonophore, in which one creature is actually the product of a colony of different organisms, known as zooids, working collectively to carry out life processes.

If you see one, don’t get too close.

The most initial symptoms of the stung would be severe pain and rashes. Their poison-laced tentacles are capable of extending anywhere from to 10 to 30 feet, sometimes reaching astonishing lengths measuring as much as 160 feet.

An extremely lethal jellyfish has washed up ashore near New Jersey shore ahead of the holiday weekend.

Officials tell beachgoers to beware of their surroundings not only in the water but also along shore. It is possible that their tentacles will still release toxins even if this vicious creature has been out of the water for days now.

Experts say that the creatures have been occasionally spotted in the past, but never on this level. “So [the man-of-wars] might have drifted in”, said John Tiedemann, who is director of marine and environmental biology at New Jersey’s Monmouth University in New Jersey.

Colorful, but potentially harmful, Portuguese man-of-war have been washing up on some New Jersey beaches in the past few weeks.

He went on to explain that northeastern winds coming from the south and the Gulf Stream ar most likely the ones helping the Man-Of-War leave the Caribbean or Florida, and travel well into the United States.

Bologna also describes victims as usually not seeing these creatures on the shore where they are most likely to step on them since they are translucent and can blend with the water, making them nearly invisible. Several times, people have been stung by the creature while walking or by stepping on it, and they know that they are unavoidable. You are especially in danger if you happen to be susceptible to allergic reactions similar to those caused by bee stings. Glatter added that if you have trouble breathing or feel choked then you need to seek immediate medical help.