The Atlantic sea nettle’s medusa isabout the size of a softball and hasbrown, red or sometimes purple stripes.As a sea nettle, this jelly has very longtentacles that trail from its medusa andare used for defense and catching prey.The Atlantic sea nettle eats zooplankton,other jellies, and sometimes crustaceans,
which it stuns with the nematocysts
along its tentacles. These same nematocystsare responsible for stinging about500,000 humans each year. One treatmentfor jelly stings is to apply vinegar to thesting site, which neutralizes the toxinsreleased into the skin from the nematocysts.
Despite urban myths, urine is not
effective in neutralizing a jelly sting.