Environment

Venomous ‘jellyfish’ found on Tokushima beach

Courtesy of Tokushima prefectural government
A katsuo no eboshi, or Portuguese man-of-war

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:21 JST, August 2, 2022

TOKUSHIMA — A dozen highly venomous “katsuo no eboshi” (Portuguese man-of-war), a jellyfish-like species of siphonophore, have been found on Komatsu beach in Tokushima City, according to the Tokushima prefectural government.

Though they look beautiful with their pale blue and transparent bodies, their tentacles are highly venomous, a Tokushima government official said. Those who are stung by the siphonophore suffer pain that is similar to an electric shock. The toxicity of the tentacles does not disappear even in dead katsuo no eboshi.

On July 31, the prefectural government was informed that more than a dozen of the creatures had been found on the beach. No one was injured. The prefectural government has asked residents not to touch the siphonophores.