A harmless surprise! Glow-in-the dark comb jelly creature spotted in Maltese waters
They’re common in Maltese waters during this time of year.
The word ‘jellyfish’ is one everybody is afraid of but the comb jelly creatures that have been spotted swimming in Maltese waters are not actually jellyfish.
Comb jellies are jelly like creatures that resemble jellyfish immensely but are in fact anything but.
In fact, even though they have a similar look genetically, they are not even related to one another!
The best difference however between your typical jellyfish and these comb jellies is that comb jellies don’t sting and are completely harmless.
As explained by Maltese marine biologist Alan Deidun, this is a “courtesy of their sticky tentacles”.
“Comb jellies can also produce their own light (i.e. they are bioluminescent) and are common in our waters at this time of the year”, he continued. This means that they can glow in the dark and are easy to spot during a night swim.