How do jellyfish tentacles sting?

Then you feel something soft brush against your leg—and suddenly, the coolness is replaced by a hot, shooting pain. You've been stung by a jellyfish. But what do you do now? First let's take a look at exactly what's happening to your leg. Jellyfish have special cells along their tentacles called cnidocytes. read more

Before you do any rinsing, however, remove any jellyfish tentacles that remain on the skin, as nematocysts on loose tentacles can continue to sting even after they are detached from the jelly. Making sure that sand stays clear of the wound is also an important task, but likely a difficult one while on the beach. read more

Jellyfish defend themselves by injecting venom into your body with syringe-like body parts called nematocysts. They're coiled up inside cells called nematocytes, which live along the length of the animal's tentacles. read more

Some young fish actually live on or even in jellyfish. They hide out in the tentacles to avoid being eaten by predators until they mature. And some people -- especially in China and Japan -- also eat jellyfish, considering them a delicacy. Aside from their occasional stings, jellyfish are not generally a nuisance. read more