If you have ever had your day at the beach ruined by a mysterious and irritating itchiness, you may have blamed it on ‘sea lice’. Sea lice is well known to those in Florida and the Caribbean during the summer months. Warnings of sea lice are commonly posted on Florida beaches along with the tide conditions. However, sea lice is actually a misnomer. As small as a grain of salt, what is referred to as sea lice is in fact actually the larvae of jellyfish. According to studies, the most common outbreaks of ‘seabathers eruption’ seem to be linked to the larvae of thimble jellyfish. The worst part about this nasty little rash is that you wont know you have been affected until 24 hours or so later. The ‘sea lice’ are nearly impossible to see under the water and can become trapped in bathing suits or clothing. The unfortunate symptoms will appear the next day and can include raised bumps, redness, itchiness, and even fever, chills and nausea. Removing your swimsuit and showering right after swimming seems to be the best method to avoid the rash. So the next time you head to Fort Lauderdale, Key West, the Bahamas or Grand Cayman, and you emerge covered in a rash, you can thank the humble thimble jellyfish for your vacation souvenir.  MORE
Got That Itchy Feeling?
by Francis Yupangco | Jun 10, 2016 | Fish, Science | 0 comments
Francis is a marine biologist with an MBA and over 20 years of professional aquarium experience. Francis is the former Aquatic Development Manager at Hagen USA., makers of Fluval brand aquarium products. He co-stars on Nat Geo WILD's reality TV series Fish Tank Kings where he is the resident "Fish Geek" and was Director of Marketing at Living Color Aquariums. He is an avid explorer having visited over 45 countries and lived in 7. At 17, he was among the youngest aquarists ever hired by the Vancouver Aquarium, where he worked for 7 years. His aquatic biology experience ranges from larval fish rearing to the design, construction and operational management of renowned public aquariums around the world. Francis is currently head of marketing at the world's largest vertically integrated fish farming company.
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