The snottie, a rare pink jellyfish, found its way to Sylvania Waters on Monday.
The pictured giant, rare, hot pink jellyfish was found washed up on the shore of Holt’s Point Place, capturing the attention of many visitors to the waterfront.
Leader reader Karen Collins, who took the photograph, said the animal was a show stopper.
’’It was huge,’’ she said.
According to jellyfish expert Lisa-ann Gershwin, director of the Australian Marine Stinger Advisory Service, the animal is cyanea rosea, more commonly known as the snottie, the lion’s mane or the hair jelly.
’’That is the lovely and stunning cyanea rosea, and a splendid one indeed,’’ Dr Gershwin said.
She said the snottie was a close relative to the only jellyfish that has ever been used as a murder weapon, the particular lion mane used in a Sherlock Holmes mystery.
’’It is pink because that is the normal colour of the species, as suggested by its species name, rosea, which is Latin for reddish. It is not a common beast, so you should consider yourself lucky to have seen it, even upside down and washed up,’’ Dr Gershwin said.
But unlike Mr Holmes’ jellyfish, a sting from a snottie won’t see you end up in the morgue.
’’It is not deadly like the more toxic and more notorious box jellyfish, but it does produce a slap-you-in-the-face-and-get-your-attention sort of sting,’’ Dr Gershwin said.
Dr Gershwin’s new book — Stung! — on the growing impact of jellyfish is available via Amazon.
See more in Thursday's Leader.
Have you seen an unusual sea creatures lately?
