Submitted by Fox First at Ten on September 14th
NEWMAN LAKE, Wash. - Newman Lake residents have noticed a new creature in their water. Neighbors have spotted fresh water jellyfish all over the lake. These jellyfish are much smaller than normal salt water jellies.
"Most of the time no one notices them because they are on the bottom they sit on the bottom of the lake. They are tiny. They are about the size of quarter," Professor Hugh Lefcort said.
Lefcort studies Biology at Gonzaga University. Lefcort has studied this species, but has never seen them in the wild.
"I have seen them in jars. But never in reality. It would be nice to, I have looked, but no," Lefcort said.
Lefcort said that these jellyfish are not a danger to humans. Our skin is too think for their stingers to affect us. However, he said he might not put a very small child in the lake with the jellyfish around.
One resident, Barbie Wheeler, has lived in Newman Lake for more than 20 years and has never seen these little jellyfish. "I had never heard of fresh water jellyfish ever. I did not know they existed. So it was really exciting when we first heard about it," Wheeler said.
Wheeler said that the little water invertebrate are now the talk of the town.
"It's the talk, everyone says have you seen the jellyfish? Have you seen the jellyfish?"
