How does a jellyfish sting? - Neosha S Kashef

譯者: Ann Chen 審譯者: MQ L

You're swimming in the ocean when something brushes your leg.

你正在海裡游泳，有東西碰觸你的腳

When the tingling sets in,

當出現刺痛時

you realize you've been stung by a jellyfish.

你意識到你已經被水母蟄刺了

How do these beautiful, gelatinous creatures pack such a painful punch?

這些美麗膠質般的生物 是這麼會有這種攻擊力呢

Jellyfish are soft because they are 95% water

水母是柔軟的，因為牠們 95% 是水

and are mostly made of a translucent gel-like substance called mesoglea.

而且主要是由半透明膠質般的物質 －稱為中膠層－所構成

With such delicate bodies,

由於牠們身體這麼嬌嫩

they rely on thousands of venom-containing stinging cells called cnidocytes

牠們全靠數以千計含有毒液的蟄刺細胞 －稱為刺細胞－

for protection and prey capture.

作為保護及捕食

Even baby jellyfish, the size of a pencil eraser,

即使是體型如鉛筆上橡皮擦大小的小水母

have the ability to sting.

也具有蟄刺的能力

Larval jellyfish, ephyrae, look like tiny flowers pulsating in the sea.

幼年的水母－碟狀幼體－ 狀似許多小花朵在海裡搏動

As they grow, they become umbrella-shaped with a bell at the top

當牠們長大，就變成在頂部有一個 鐘型的雨傘形狀

and descending tentacles around the margin.

而且在傘緣有往下延伸的觸鬚

The largest species of jellyfish, the lion's mane,

最大的水母－獅鬃水母－

has tentacles that can extend more than 100 feet,

觸鬚可長達超過 100 呎

longer than a blue whale.

比藍鯨還長

These tentacles contain most of the stinging cells,

這些觸鬚含有大多數的刺細胞

although some species have them on their bells, too.

然而有些種類的水母在其傘膜上也有刺細胞

Venom is ejected via a nematocyst,

毒液是經由刺絲囊射出

a whip-like hollow tubule,

刺絲囊有一個鞭形的中空小管

which lies coiled under high osmotic pressure.

在高滲透壓之下蜷曲者

When mechanical or chemical stimuli activate an external trigger,

當物理性或化學性的刺激 引動了在外的觸發器

the lid of the cell pops open and sea water rushes in.

細胞的蓋子應聲打開，海水湧入

This forces a microscopic barbed harpoon to shoot out,

迫使一個極微細帶鉤的矛射出

penetrate and inject venom into its victim.

穿透並注射毒液進入受害者身上

Nematocyst discharge can occur in less than a millionth of a second,

刺絲囊的發射過程少於百萬分之一秒

making it one of nature's fastest biomechanical processes.

是自然界中最快的生物力學反應之一

Nematocysts can continue to fire even after a jellyfish has died,

即使水母死亡，刺絲囊仍可繼續射出帶鉤的矛

so it's important to remove lingering tentacles stuck to the skin.

所以去除殘留在皮膚的觸鬚是很重要的

Rinsing with vinegar will usually render undischarged nematocysts inactive.

用醋沖洗常可使尚未發射的刺絲囊失去啟動力

Seawater can also help remove residual nematocysts.

海水也可幫助去除殘留的刺絲囊

But don't use fresh water because any change in salt balance

但不要用清水， 因為任何鹽分平衡的改變

alters the osmotic pressure outside of the cnidocyte

會改變刺細胞外面的滲透壓

and will trigger the nematocyst to fire.

而啟動刺絲囊發射的反應

That's why urinating on the affected area, a common folk remedy,

那也就是為什麼尿在患處－一種民間療法－

may do more harm that good, depending on the composition of the urine.

可能弊多於利，端視尿液的成分而定

Most jellyfish stings are a painful nuisance,

大部分水母蟄刺只是一種 令人疼痛、不愉快的事而已

but some can be deadly.

但有些可能會致命

An Indo-Pacific box jelly, also called a sea wasp,

一種印度太平洋的立方水母－也稱為海黃蜂－

releases venom which can cause contraction of the heart muscles

所釋放的毒液可造成心臟肌肉收縮

and rapid death in large doses.

毒液量多時會導致迅速死亡

There's an anti-venom, but the venom is fast-acting,

目前有抗毒血清， 但因毒液是迅速反應的

so you'd need immediate medical intervention.

所以你必須立刻接受醫藥治療

Despite the impressive power in their tentacles,

儘管牠們的觸鬚擁有令人驚嘆的能力

jellies aren't invincible.

水母並不是無敵的

Their stinging cells are no match for the armor of thick-skin predators,

牠們的刺細胞比不過厚皮掠食者的盔甲

like the leatherback turtle and ocean sunfish.

如棱皮龜及翻車魚

These predators both have adaptations that prevents slippery jellyfish

這兩種天敵都已經過適應性演化

from escaping after they are engulfed:

可防止吞入的滑溜水母逃走

backwards pointing spines in the turtle's mouth and esophagus

棱皮龜的口腔和食道有朝向後的刺

and recurved teeth behind the sunfish's cheeks.

翻車魚的頰部後方有後彎的牙齒

Even tiny lobster slipper larvae can cling to the bell of a jellyfish

甚至微小的幼年蟬蝦也能黏在水母的傘膜

and hitch a ride,

順搭便車

snacking on the jelly while they preserve their own energy for growth.

一邊啃食水母，一邊保存自己的能量以便成長

Small agile fish use the jellies as moving reefs for protection,

敏捷的小魚利用水母當作保護的移動礁石

darting between tentacles without ever touching them.

穿梭於觸鬚間，而不會觸碰到它們

Nudibranchs, which are sea slugs covered in protective slime,

裸鰓類－一種滿身覆蓋著保護性黏液的海蛞蝓－

can actually steal the jelly's defenses by eating the cnidocytes

能藉著吃水母的刺細胞 來竊取水母的防禦力

and transferring them to specialized sacks for later use,

並將它們傳送到特殊的囊袋，以備後用

as weapons against their own predators.

作為一種對抗牠們自己掠食者的武器

Even humans might benefit from the sting of a jellyfish one day.

也許有一天人類會因水母的蟄刺得到好處

Scientists are working on manipulating cnidocytes to deliver medicine,

科學家正在研究如何利用刺細胞來遞送藥物

with nematocysts rarely 3% of the size of a typical syringe needle.

因為刺絲囊的大小少於標準注射針頭的 3％

So, the next time you're out in the ocean, be careful.

所以，下回你在海裡時，請小心

But also, take a second to marvel at its wonders.

但也請花些時間去讚嘆一下海洋的奇妙吧