when the tingling sets in
you realize you've been stung by a jellyfish.
how do these beautiful, gelatinous creatures pack such a painful punch?
jellyfish are soft because they are 95 water
and the mostly made of a translucent gel-like substance called mesoglea.
with such delicate bodies.
they rely on thousands of venom-containing stinging cells called cnidocytes
for protection and prey capture.
even baby jellyfish, the size of a pencil eraser
have the ability to sting.
larval jellyfish, ephyrae, look like tiny flowers pulsating in the sea.
as they grow, they become umbrella-shaped with a bell at the top