On top of their flair for ruining a carefree day.
Scottish comedian Billy Connolly famously joked about visiting a Queensland beach and seeing a sign saying, “Beware Stingers”. He said he didn’t know if the stingers “burrowed holes, dropped out of trees or arrived in f*@*#ing taxis!”. The “stingers” in question were the highly venomous Box Jellyfish. But he would have been just as freaked out by the Bluebottle (or Pacific Man-Of-War Jellyfish) which, though less deadly, arrive with their own warning signs on our Northern Beaches shores.
Like many others, I’ve had their stringy tentacles spread across my face when swimming at Manly and I can testify that it ain’t a pleasant experience! The pain can last up to three hours, can cause skin welts and may trigger allergic reactions. Bluebottles are responsible for up to 30,000 human stings every summer in Australia and are the number one reason why people seek the help of Life Savers. Even washed up and dead they can be painful if touched.
Over the years there have been many schools of thought on how best to soothe the hurt. Should you use vinegar, alcohol or water? Or will a quick splash of urine do the trick?
First aid experts now advise to wash the affected area with sea water and wipe away the stinging cells. Don’t rub it, as this can make it worse. Ideally any tentacles should be removed from the skin using tweezers or a gloved hand. Then, as soon as possible, immerse the impacted region in hot water (around 40c degrees). This will kill the proteins in the venom. If hot water is unavailable, cold water may calm the reaction. Ironically vinegar, alcohol and urine can all make the sting more intense! (So, there’s no excuse for weeing on strangers).
Although it superficially resembles a Jellyfish, the Bluebottle isn’t a single animal but a colony of four modified polyps (zooids) that depend on each other for survival. Their functions include floating, hunting, digestion and reproduction. They have no heart or brain.
The bluish, bottle-shaped float bladder generates its own gas and sails along using muscular contractions whilst currents drive the Bluebottle’s tentacles below the surface. Some sails point to the left of the body and some to the right, this enables half of a population to be blown in a different direction and avoid mass stranding.
“Blueys” can be in our waters anytime but are most common in summer – peaking a few weeks before ocean temperatures are at their highest. They are brought ashore by North Easterly and Southerly winds as well as by strong currents and rips. An international team of researchers (including UNSW Scientists) have been using replica 3D printed bluebottles, fitted with satellite technology, to try and predict their movements. A tracking App could soon be floating our way!
The venom in the main fishing tentacle of the Bluebottle (which can grow up to 3 metres) is designed to trap and paralyse small fish, shrimps and molluscs which they feed on. Not many predators can handle its sting, but loggerhead turtles eat them, as do sunfish.
The blue sea slug (or nudibranch) actually ingests the bluebottle’s stinging cells and then uses the venom for its own defence! Aussie nature can be “funnier” than Billy Connolly ever imagined!
Enjoy that?
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