30 November 2009, 12:14
An invasion of giant jellyfish the size of sumo wrestlers is jeopardising the Japanese fishing industry.
The Echizen jellyfish, which grow up to 2.2m in diameter and can weigh over 300kg, have appeared on Japan's Pacific coast.
They have floating there from Chinese and Korean waters where they breed every year, reports Sky News.
Their size means they are capable of ruining fisherman's nets and poisoning and crushing catches.
One fishing boat was even capsized after a mammoth creature got caught in its net.
A local fisherman said: " I have never seen anything this big before."
Much about the jellyfish swarms remains a mystery but some scientists believe global warming and rising sea temperatures may be a factor.
Japan's Meteorological Agency says the waters of the Sea of Japan are warming at a speed three times faster than the global average.
http://web.orange.co.uk/article/quirkies/sumo_jellyfish_japan
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