Michigan has jellyfish?

Yup, and even though some have been found in the Great Lakes, there are jellyfish being found in many of Michigan's inland lakes...and supposedly we've had them all along.

Since when? Since they were first discovered in our lakes back in the 1930s - to be precise, they were found in the Huron River near Ann Arbor in 1933. So why are they in our lakes? According to WLNS, “It is believed they originated in the Yangtze River in China and were brought stateside hiding in ornamental aquatic plants. They can also be carried from one body of water to another along with stocked fish, plants or by waterfowl.”

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Michigan isn't the only state where jellyfish have been found...there are 44 other states as well.

Are we to be concerned? Are they harmful to us humans as the jellyfish found in the oceans? These specimens have four long tentacles and up to 500 short ones, and they do have stinging cells...but scientists say that's no concern, because they're too tiny to penetrate our skin.

So far, the jellyfish that were found have been only the size of a penny. They only live for a few weeks, dying after spewing out a bunch of eggs.

They're not easy to spot. One reason is because they're so small, and another is because they look like air bubbles. So whenever we go swimming in one of our inland lakes, more than likely we have been in the presence of some of these tiny jellyfish...we just didn't have any idea.

In the gallery below, you'll see what these little creatures look like, and keep in mind...they've probably been your swimming buddies all along...

Jellyfish in Michigan

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