Hundreds of Cotylorhiza tuberculata, more commonly referred to as fried egg jellyfish, have been reported around the coastal areas of Comino, Gozo, Wied iz-Zurrieq and Marsascala, as part of the Spot the Jellyfish campaign.
Even though the jellyfish are fairly large, capable of growing up to 35cm in diameter, they are innocuous, meaning their sting has very little or no effect on humans. They are not expected to be residing in the Mediterranean waters for much longer; it is assumed that they will move on no later than the beginning of October.
In 1977, Guido Lanfranco reported large numbers of fried egg jellyfish in Maltese bays; however the current numbers do not even come close to the unbelievable amount of those observed last year in September. Of the 300 reported jellyfish sightings, only around 5% have been of the fried egg jellyfish, with nine gelatinous plankton species also having been recorded.
The reporting of the jellyfish is done by matching the jellyfish seen against an identification guide and including the date and time of sighting, also indicating the number of jellyfish seen. So far, over 200 different species of jellyfish have been reported and submitted by the public.
