Fried Egg Jellyfish Makes Its First Appearance Of The Season In Malta
The sizeable but harmless fried egg jellyfish has just made its first appearance for the season in Malta’s waters.
The jellyfish, known as qassata or tal-lampuki in Maltese, was spotted floating around at Crystal Lagoon in Comino on 9th August.
“Another sign that this year’s sea temperature is higher than normal, as the fried egg jellyfish normally appears after mid-August,” marine biologist and lecturer Alan Deidun explained on social media.
“A week early is a big deal within the life cycle of a species, especially seeing that these fried egg jellyfish have already attained a larger size,” he said.
This species is said to inflict a very mild sting, and is harmless for the most part, normally blooming after the start of the dolphin fish (lampuki) season.
“Yet again, this year, as has been happening in recent years, the species has appeared earlier on in the summer, yet another indicator of the warming trend shown by our seas,” Deidun said.
“This jellyfish species harbours microscopic algae in purple tips, which provide it with sugars, explaining why it sticks to the surface waters,” he explained.
The jellyfish species are commonly found in the western and central Mediterranean, often accompanied by juvenile fish.
Check out this document for further guidelines on the identification of Maltese jellyfish and other gelatinous organisms, with a first aid protocol included.
Have you spotted any fried egg jellyfish this year?
READ NEXT: Bryce Dallas Howard Teases She'll Be 'Passing Out' Copies Of Jurassic World As She Returns To Malta
