Purple people eater (Pelagia noctiluca)

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

At least that is what us waxheads call this sea jelly or more commonly known as jellyfish of around 4 inches of length. Pelagia noctiluca drifts with ocean currents and often gets washed close in shore during strong winds and currents in the summer time. Its sting is quite unpleasant, though not really harmful. Makes you itch like he11. :D First-hand experience. But nothing like Blue Bottles (Portugese man o' war - Physalia physalia)

Captured with my housed Minolta SRT100, 50mm lens and 2x diopter lens, no flash, just ambient light in the shallows. See all the fine suspended matter in the water. Fujichrome Sensia 100, almost FF. No further details recorded.

[Mark Fuge]

He/she must have had a feast on that. At least it wasn't on you! :eek: ;)

Nice image on film. Nice to see film still works! ;)

[Steve Canuel]

Nice colors. This reminds me of one of those space photos of nebulas, gas clouds, etc.

[Robert Amoruso]

Minolta SRT100 - that brings me back.

I like the play of light on the creature.

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

You do have your fare share of vreepy (very creepy) fish there: you ever afraid of Irukandji ?

Thanks Peter.
I live too far south for Irukandji. They are in the tropics more so, though with currents or ballast water I would never rule anything out. Heck, I have a record of a nudibranch (seaslug) that is only found in Victoria and SA, though I have images from Sydney, some 500 kilometers north of anywhere inside its normal range.

We have similar jellies to the deadly Box Jelly, in appearance though, and while the sting is pretty painful, it is not dangerous.

[Morkel Erasmus]

great capture Akos! thanks for showing us non-'waxheads' another world...