Jelly fish are marine animals. They are invertebrates and can be found in the seas and ocean of every part of the world. There are also some freshwater varieties. These creatures are not fish at all although they have this name and they are scyphozoa from a class of marine creatures called Cnidaria. Anemones, box jellies and corals belong to the same family of animals.

Sea Nettles

The Sea Nettle is found mostly in river estuaries that empty out into the Atlantic. The Nettle’s sting is classified as moderate and it is capable of killing small animals but it is not likely to cause death in humans, although there may be a severe allergic reaction.

Close Up View Of Sea Nettle

Lion’s Mane Jelly Fish

This fabulous creature has tentacles more than three metres long and they are covered in stinging cells. The body can grow up to 200 cms wide and it is the largest species of jelly fish. The tentacles are grouped in bunches and each bunches has one hundred plus separate tentacles. They are found in the north and Irish seas, around Britain and around Australia but they don’t go down into the water more than about twenty metres. They sting inflicted by these creatures can cause paralysis, stop the heart and blister the skin.

Portuguese Man Of War

This jelly fish is also know as the Bluebotttle, or Bluebubble. It is generally thought of as one creature but it is actually a whole colony of polyps. The venom produced by these creatures is very powerful and can cause serious paralysis. Medical attention is needed if anyone is stung by one of these. Sometimes tentacles break off and even small segments can cause severe stings weeks after they have detached from the main body. Even bits washed up on sand can sting. Beautiful but deadly.

Sea Wasp

This variety is found in the Pacific Ocean near Australia and the Philippines. Sea Wasps are deadly to humans. They can swim at five miles per hour through surf, trailing their almost invisible tentacles as they go. The tentacles stretch for about fifteen feet and there are around eighty of them. A sting from this beautiful creature brings instant death to most creatures. Not everyone who has been stung by one of these has died but the sting is incredibly painful and the toxin can cause breathing and heart problems.