ARCHIVED - Rare giant jellyfish spotted off the coast of Granada

The Rhizostoma Luteum species has also been seen in Nerja and can reach a weight of up to 40 kilos!

As the sea temperature of the Mediterranean rises during the summer so too does the likelihood of bathers being inconvenienced by jellyfish, but rarely will they have had the experience of confronting a fully grown specimen of the Rhizostoma Luteum species.

Examples of the species have been spotted this week off the coast of Granada, the first occurrence of its kind since 2012, but fortunately they are reported to have been relatively small (although at around 7 kilos most people would prefer to avoid them!). Earlier in July other specimens were seen in Motril and Salobreño which were far larger, and it is known that the jellyfish can reach weights of up to 40 kilos!

Although sightings are rare, other Rhizostoma Luteum jellyfish have already been spotted this year, for example in Nerja, in the province of Málaga.

The species was first identified in 1827 but since then has often been confused with other kinds of jellyfish. Not until the last decade did confirmed sightings become more common in Spain, especially in Andalucía and the Region of Murcia, and experts at the University of Granada urge bathers to leave them alone if they spot one – not that most people would need telling!

The Rhizostoma Luteum has various mouths and feeds on plankton. It is a whitish colour with tinges of violet, and its long arms are dark grey.

The tentacles impart a nasty sting but are not as poisonous as those of some other, smaller species which are far more often found along the Mediterranean coast of Spain.

Image: World Register of Marine Species