Mass jellyfish stranding near Kuala Penyu, Sabah

 

Residents of Kampung Jangkit in Sabah have reported mass stranding of tomato jellyfish on nearby beaches over the past few days.

PETALING JAYA: There has been a mass stranding of jellyfish along the coast near Kampung Jangkit in Kuala Penyu, Sabah, over the past few days, with authorities putting the phenomenon down to rising seawater temperatures.

Residents reported seeing tomato jellyfish, or Lobonemoides robustus, along 3km of coastline yesterday, Sinar Harian reported.

Sabah fisheries director Azhar Kassim said officers had been sent to monitor and investigate the phenomenon.

“According to the residents, this is the first time that such a significant jellyfish stranding event has occurred.

“The extraordinary population density is due to the increased reproduction rates of this species, caused by rising seawater temperatures.

“This is closely related to the presence of food sources such as zooplankton, small crustaceans and juvenile fish in the sea,” he said in a statement today, adding that the tides would have also influenced the stranding.

Azhar said the tomato jellyfish is not venomous but can cause itching. - FMT