How do jellyfish sting?
Getting stung by a jellyfish is kind of like getting shot with lots of little poison arrows. Each jellyfish has tentacles that contain stinging cells. The top of the animal, called the bell or umbrella, also has some of these cells, which house little poison-tipped stingers. When something such as a fish brushes against the jellyfish, these harpoon-like stingers are released. The stinging either kills or stuns a fish. Then, the jellyfish can reel the fish in with its tentacles and eat it. Jellyfish also use stinging to protect themselves. If a large fish rubs against a jellyfish, a reflex action will cause the jellyfish to sting it. The same is true when a jellyfish stings a person. Of course, the jellyfish isn’t trying to eat a human, it’s just trying to protect itself.
