CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A large, invasive jellyfish species has been found washed up at the Padre Island National Seashore (PINS).
This Australian Spotted Jellyfish (Phyllorhiza punctata), was recently spotted on North Beach at PINS, a social media post by PINS officials said. The large jellyfish is native to the western Pacific Ocean and is invasive to the Gulf of Mexico.
The jellyfish may look scary, but their venom is so mild that they cannot even use it to stun prey, instead they feed on tiny microorganisms called zooplankton. PINS experts said the venom is not hazardous to humans.
"Unfortunately, these jellies are invasive in the Gulf of Mexico and in great numbers can consume large quantities of zooplankton, making it hard for local marine wildlife to find food," the post said. "While interesting to look at, the fact that these jellies deplete resources for local wildlife, makes them a not-so-welcome visitor here!"
Each jellyfish can clear 50 cubic meters of water filled with plankton in one day, according to the Texas Invasive Species Institute, which means they can easily mess with food webs. The species was first found in the Gulf of Mexico in 2000.
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