Close Menu
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Local History
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
  • Read Our Newspapers Online
    • Read the Latest Western Port News
    • Read the Latest Mornington News
    • Read the Latest Southern Peninsula News
    • Read the Latest Frankston Times
    • Read the Latest Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News
  • Competition
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Trending
  • Upgrades for road ‘black spots’
  • Medals and certificates for lifesavers
  • Watch out for dolphins
  • Op shop appeals for volunteers
  • Safety message for playground users
  • ‘Permanent’ flag
  • Stress and struggle of Christmess
  • Tributes flow for ‘courageous’ Peta Murphy
Facebook X (Twitter)
MPNEWSMPNEWS
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Local History
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
MPNEWSMPNEWS
Home»News»Ocean nomad arrives with a sting
News

Ocean nomad arrives with a sting

By MP News GroupDecember 2, 2019Updated:December 4, 2019No Comments2 Mins Read
Step carefully: Bluebottles littered Sorrento back beach last week. Picture: Gary Sissons
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email
Step carefully: Bluebottles littered Sorrento back beach last week. Picture: Gary Sissons

ARMADAS of the stinging bluebottle jellyfish (Physalia utriculus) have been washed up on the Mornington Peninsula’s ocean beaches and may soon be entering Port Phillip.

The bluebottle, or Pacific man-of-war, is an occasional visitor to Victorian beaches but more common in Sydney and further north.

The wind and currents determine its journey before being brought ashore by incoming tides.

Wikipedia says bluebottles differ from other jellyfish in several ways. The gas-filled float supports a number of specialised tentacles, which are actually members of a complicated colony. The individual members, or zooids, cooperate to form what looks like one jellyfish.

Some zooids are specialised for stinging and capturing tiny fish and other marine animals, some eat the prey, while others reproduce.

Up to 30,000 stings each year are reported along the east coast of Australia from Physalia with about 500 reported from Western Australia and South Australia.

Treat a bluebottle sting by washing off remaining tentacles with saltwater and then rinsing the affected area with seawater to remove any invisible stinging cells.

Immerse the stung area in hot water as the heat kills the protein in the venom. Studies have shown that 40 degrees Celsius will produce relief after 10 minutes.

If the symptoms persist or for stings that cover a particularly large area, or across the throat and face, call 000.

First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 3 December 2019

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

Related Posts

Upgrades for road ‘black spots’

December 11, 2023

Watch out for dolphins

December 11, 2023

Safety message for playground users

December 11, 2023

Release for trapped kangaroo

December 7, 2023
Add A Comment

Comments are closed.

Peninsula Essence Magazine

Click here to read

November 27, 2023
Peninsula Kids Magazine

Click here to read

November 30, 2023
Council Watch

‘Permanent’ flag

December 11, 2023

‘Dialogue’ terminated over flag

November 28, 2023
Letters to the Editor
Interview

Rolls Royce-driven life worth recording

November 13, 2023
Property of the Week

105 Quinns Parade, Mt Eliza

November 28, 2023
100 Years Ago This Week

Frankston shooting case – Accused committed for trial

December 4, 2023
Menu
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Local History
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
About

Established in 2006, Mornington Peninsula News Group (MPNG) is a locally owned and operated, independent media company.

MPNG publishes five weekly community newspapers: the Western Port News, Mornington News, Southern Peninsula News, Frankston Times and Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News.

MPNG also publishes two glossy magazines: Peninsula Essence and Peninsula Kids.

Facebook X (Twitter)
© 2023 Mornington Peninsula News Group.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.