how to preserve a jellyfish specimen???

chong2 · Jul 26, 2008

im not sure if it belongs in the forum, but i know there are alot of smart people out there. so i am going to a beach where there are tons of small blue jellyfish floating on shore. i would like to bring one back as a specimen in a jar. the problem is i heard they dissolve. and are 95% water? so what would be the best preserval meathod? and yes im still going to the beach even tho they are all over, and yes i am bringing one home somehow. THANKS GUYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

IndianRiverSonrise · Jul 30, 2008

bigcypresshunter said:
trikikiwi said:

I have read that the good old Portugese Man O' War 'jellyfish' is invading some European beaches at the moment.
Otherwise known as Blue Bottles - nasty sting.
I've surfed amongst them, never met them directly ,awesome part of our World .

Click to expand...

We have them on our beaches in South Florida. I have seen them about a month ago or so. I walk around them.

I've been stung by the blue man of war type a number of times. Some were light brushes and others very painful. One of the best treatments is to apply meat tenderizer to the skin that was contacted. A wet suit will do the job if you don't want to try the nylons. The bad thing is to get the tentacles wrapped around an arm or leg.

mrs.oroblanco · Jul 30, 2008

I don't remember what treatment they gave to my sister-in-law.

Of course, it also occurs to me that, our skin gets tougher - leatheryer (sp?) as we age, so maybe a young person with more tender skin would be affected more - don't know. Just know she still has scars all these years later.

I remember an episode of Venom ER where a lifeguard drank a jellyfish specimen - he lived, but, he had a very time, and almost didn't.

(I don't remember what kind of jellyfish it was).

B

nhbenz · Aug 1, 2008

chong2 said:
lol. .... ben was it a dare or WTH why did he do it, lol.

No, not a dare... they had wanted to keep the little specimen. My dad was so accustomed to having a coffee in his hands when talking about his passion (biology) that he absolutely forgot what he was holding!!! He didn't even realize what he'd done until asked "how'd it taste?"

Old Dog · Aug 1, 2008

bigcypresshunter said:
I was always told not to touch them. I think vinegar will help in an accidental contact with the wrong kind.

For the record I think a bit of household ammonia works better. the poison is acid in it's nature and the base compound will help neutralise it. Used to use it for man of war stings when we were kids on Padre Island.

Works awesome on Bee and Wasp stings as well.

chong2 · Aug 1, 2008

lmao........ benz, now its even better, too cool..... i heard amonia, this lady told me to take a bottle of windex with us when we go, guess thats why...................... NE WAYS so see when they sell the baby sharks, stingrays , they put them in alcohol. ill try that and salt water, and let everyone know the results. hopefully jellyfish are the same

chong2 · Sep 6, 2008

well, the trip went awesome!!!! no little blue jelly fish, like i was hopeing 4. one night the wind came in real bad, and the next day...... my worse fears................ man o wars "small ones" were all over. well we didnt swim that day

i put 2 in a bottle while they were alive. the next day, they vanished

and the water turned to a purple koolade color?! so, my preserving a jelly fish failed badly. thanks guys 4 yer help!!!!

BioProfessor · Sep 7, 2008

Thank you for NOT sending us a picture of you in nylons. Just don't want that image in my head.

Daryl

Bigcypresshunter · Sep 8, 2008

"Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Preserving Jellyfish, But Were Afraid to Ask."

trikikiwi · Sep 8, 2008

chong2 said:
well, the trip went awesome!!!! no little blue jelly fish, like i was hopeing 4. one night the wind came in real bad, and the next day...... my worse fears................ man o wars "small ones" were all over. well we didnt swim that day i put 2 in a bottle while they were alive. the next day, they vanished and the water turned to a purple koolade color?! so, my preserving a jelly fish failed badly. thanks guys 4 yer help!!!!

Did you forget to gut them first?

curbdiggercarl57 · Sep 8, 2008

If you get stung really bad, and there is nothing else to do, urine helps. It's true. My grandfather was stung when he was very young, and I can remember seeing the scars on his back. One of the more interesting posts, I will say.
CurbdiggerCarl