"Very rare": China jellyfish conquer Bavarian bathing lakes due to heat waves
Created: 08/26/2022, 21:51
By: Tanja Kipke
Completely harmless to humans: the freshwater jellyfish from East Asia is spreading in Bavaria's lakes.
© Imago/Jürgen Held/Nature Picture Library (merkur.d collage)
The hot summer brings a few surprises: freshwater jellyfish from East Asia were discovered in Bavarian lakes.
The cnidarians are rare but harmless.
Munich – Anyone who goes swimming in Bavaria's lakes is not alone.
Numerous animals inhabit the Bavarian lakes, from leeches to crabs and snakes.
None of these water creatures are really dangerous.
Due to the persistent heat waves and the resulting warming of the water, a rare animal species is now conquering the bathing lakes in Bavaria.
The freshwater jellyfish, which spread across East Asia, particularly from China, has been sighted several times in bathing lakes in the region.
Freshwater jellyfish spotted in Bavarian lakes due to summer heat
"It doesn't have to be Rimini, here in Bavaria you can also watch jellyfish from the bathing beach," writes the Landesfischereiverband Bayern eV about the sightings of the Chinese jellyfish.
The "rare spectacle" has so far been observed, for example, in the Haselfurther Weiher near Landshut, in the Haager Weiher near Freising or in the Weicheringer See near Ingolstadt.
The Chiemsee and the Schönbrunner See in the district of Lichtenfels are also affected by the mini cnidarians.
When it comes to jellyfish, many immediately think of the poisonous fire jellyfish, which triggers painful reactions when touched.
The freshwater jellyfish, on the other hand, is a harmless relative.
According to the fishing association, it only grows up to two centimeters and is completely harmless to humans.
The jellyfish are 99.3 percent water and are usually found in the water in late summer or autumn.
Several lakes in Bavaria are closed to bathers because of blue-green algae. Even in a river, there is now an urgent warning against bathing.
Video: Fish, frogs and crabs - these animals swim with you in the bathing lake
Jellyfish are best seen in the evening: report observations to LMU Munich
It is not entirely unusual for jellyfish to be found in Bavaria's lakes.
On the other hand, it is "very rare" that you can also see them, explains Frank Reißenweber from the Coburg district office to the BR.
These mini jellyfish develop from polyps, which the biologist says can be found in most freshwater bodies of water.
However, the jellyfish only form at a permanently warm water temperature of 22 to 24 degrees.
The constant heat waves in Bavaria have apparently led to such temperatures in some lakes.
(tkip)
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