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• Mariottini, GLuigi
• Giacco, E
• Pane, L
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• Giacco, E
• Pane, L
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• Mariottini, GLuigi
• Giacco, E
• Pane, L

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Mar. Drugs 2008, 6(3), 496-513; doi:10.3390/md6030496

Review

The Mauve Stinger Pelagia noctiluca (Forsskål, 1775). Distribution, Ecology, Toxicity and Epidemiology of Stings.

Gian Luigi Mariottini ^1,* , Elisabetta Giacco ¹  and Luigi Pane ²

¹ Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Genova, Viale Benedetto XV 5, I-16132, Genova, Italy ² Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Genova, Viale Benedetto XV 5, I-16132, Genova, Italy

* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received: 12 March 2008; in revised form: 18 July 2008 / Accepted: 30 July 2008 / Published: 4 September 2008

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Toxins)

Download PDF Full-Text [124 KB, uploaded 16 September 2008 11:01 CEST]

Abstract: The toxicity of Cnidaria is a subject of concern due to its influence on humans. In particular, jellyfish blooms can highly affect human economical activities, such as bathing, fishery, tourism, etc., as well as the public health. Stinging structures of Cnidaria (nematocysts) produce remarkable effects on human skin, such as erythema, swelling, burning and vesicles, and at times further severe dermonecrotic, cardio- and neurotoxic effects, which are particularly dangerous in sensitive subjects. In several zones the toxicity of jellyfish is a very important health problem, thus it has stimulated the research on these organisms; to date toxicological research on Cnidarian venoms in the Mediterranean region is not well developed due to the weak poisonousness of venoms of jellyfish and anemones living in this area. In spite of this, during last decades several problems were also caused in the Mediterranean by stinging consequent to Cnidarian blooms mainly caused by Pelagia noctiluca (Forsskål, 1775) which is known to be the most venomous Mediterranean jellyfish. This paper reviews the knowledge on this jellyfish species, particularly considering its occurrence and toxicity.

Keywords: Jellyfish; Pelagia noctiluca; venom; nematocysts; distribution; ecology

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