‘Pink meanie’ jellyfish with 70-foot tentacles wash up in Texas — and what they do to prey is terrifying

nypost.com

A rare, humongous jellyfish species with tentacles up to 70 feet long was spotted off the Texas coast this week, horrifying beachgoers, according to a report.

At least 10 of the gelatinous giants  — known as “pink meanies” for their color — have washed up along a 10-mile stretch of beach of late, Jace Tunnell, director of community engagement at Harte Research Institute, told Chron.

Known as Drymonema larsoni, the pink meanies’ tentacles can stretch to 70 feet — nearly the length of two school buses — and weigh up to 50 pounds. The alien-looking creature was only confirmed to be a new species in 2011, 90 years after the last new jellyfish was documented.

The jellyfish can weigh up to 50 pounds and its tentacles extend for 70 feet.
The jellyfish can weigh up to 50 pounds and its tentacles extend 70 feet. Harte Research Institute

“This is about the time when you start seeing them show up,” he said.

In the late summer and early fall, the pink meanies move off Texas’ Gulf Coast to prey on moon jellyfish, which are among the most common jellyfish found in the region, Tunnel explained.

As the moon jellies follow the current slurping up plankton, the much larger meanies ensnare them with their far-reaching “oral arms” that horrifyingly secrete digestive juices to break the prey down, according to Chron.

The pink meanies don’t typically live for very long without a reliable food source and are sensitive to environmental changes.

The rare sea creatures have been spotted along Texas' Gulf Coast this past week.
The rare sea creatures have been spotted along Texas’ Gulf Coast this past week. Harte Research Institute

“If there’s no moon jellies, they die off real quick. If the water gets cold, they die off real quick. So to be able to see them is pretty rare,” Tunnell told the outlet.

Despite their scary name and massive size, their stings are mild to humans.

Tunnel rated the pain a “two out of 10.”

“You could use vinegar to try to remove some of the tentacles off of you and remove some of the sting,” he said.

He added that they are definitely not fit for humans to eat, and once they wash up on the shore they typically evaporate or get eaten by birds quickly.

The pink meanies were first spotted in the Gulf by scientists in 2000 — but were originally believed to be another species known in the Mediterranean Sea, according to Chron.

Further study confirmed that were in fact a never-before-known type of jellyfish and have since been recorded in the Mediterranean and off of South Africa.