'Nasty stingers': Man warns of clinging jellyfish found at Jersey Shore

Jun 03, 2023

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The invasive, and potentially harmful, jellyfish were found in Barnegat Bay in Ocean County last month by a Montclair State University professor.

OCEAN COUNTY, N.J. - Sharks may be the thing of nightmares, but jellyfish encounters are all too common for the Jersey beachgoer - and now they'll have to watch out for a "clingy" species.

Clinging jellyfish are mostly transparent with a single reddish-orange cross and 60–80 tentacles that can produce a "very potent" and severely painful sting, according to New Jersey officials.

The invasive, and potentially harmful, jellyfish were found in Barnegat Bay in Ocean County last month by a Montclair State University professor.

"Just a heads-up folks. I picked up a couple of clinging jellyfish in the northern part of Barnegat Bay this weekend," Paul Bologna warned in a Facebook post. "So if you are in the shallow grass beds be wary of these little nasty stingers."

If you do get stung, officials say to rinse the area with saltwater, then remove any remaining tentacle materials using gloves, plastic card or towel. Seek medical attention if pain, or symptoms, persist.

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