Edible jellyfish (Rhopilema) in Thailand

Thailand’s main edible jellyfish. The sting is usually mild, but the oral arms do sting and some people get a long-lasting itchy rash. Similar root-mouth jellyfish (Catostylus, Acromitus) also usually sting mildly.

What it looks like

A large, firm hemispherical bell, milky, bluish or brownish, rough with small hard warts. Beneath are eight thick oral arms with frills and filaments; there are no tentacles around the rim.

Size: Bell usually 20–50 cm.

Where and when in Thailand

Found on both coasts; fished mainly in the Gulf of Thailand, where it sometimes arrives in large swarms.

Gulf of Thailand · Andaman Sea

The sting

Mild burning and redness; sometimes an itchy rash that lasts several days.

First aid

📞 Emergency medical services in Thailand: 1669

Rinse with seawater, do not rub, and use a cold pack for pain and itching. See a doctor if the rash is strong or does not fade.

Lookalikes

Lobonema — long pointed projections on the bell. Catostylus and Acromitus — smaller, often bluish or with a dark rim.

Did you know

• Its Thai name, maeng kaphrun nang, means “leather jellyfish”.
• Laboratory tests in Thailand found its oral arms less toxic than those of the edible Lobonemoides.

Also called: Edible jellyfish, Catostylus, Acromitus, Root-mouth jellyfish