Pretty in pink

A gorgeous slideshow of jellyfish likely to be spotted by keen-eyed British beach-combers was posted by the BBC today, including one of the more glamorous cnidarians, the mauve stinger (Pelagia noctiluca). So behold, five facts about this special little jelly:

1. The mauve stinger is small but perfectly formed. Much of its body is transparent, but it has distinctive pink or purple buds (which hold the stinging cells) on the outside of its bell. It can grow to a diameter of 10cm.

2. Jellyfish can reproduce sexually or asexually, depending on their species, but the mauve stinger is a definite romantic. This passionate critter isn't confined to seasonal changes and reproduces throughout the year.

3. Its sting can be a gift that keeps on giving. Although not deadly, a nip from this jellyfish can cause recurring skin eruptions at the site of the injury for years to come.

4. An unprecedented bloom of these jellies destroyed Northern Ireland's only salmon farm. Two years ago, billions of mauve stingers swept in and caused millions of pounds worth of damage by wiping out the Glenarm bay salmon farm. 120,000 dead fish had to be incinerated, and the jelly influx was blamed on unpredictable tides.

5. It's widely thought that human activity is responsible for the increase in population of mauve stingers. This jellyfish is a top predator, and overfishing removes from the food chain organisms with which the stingers compete over food. Fewer big fish means more delicious water fleas (cladocera) and tiny crustaceans (copepods) for the mauve stingers.