More dangerous clinging jellyfish found along the Jersey Shore

MONMOUTH BEACH, New Jersey (WABC) -- Monmouth Beach is alerting residents that potentially dangerous clinging jellyfish have been found in the Shrewsbury River.

Three dime-sized clinging jellyfish were found in the river on Wednesday, officials said.

In addition, a Middletown man swimming in the Shrewsbury River was hospitalized after being stung by one.

This news comes on the heels of a report last week that a fisherman recently caught the tiny jellyfish in the Barnegat Bay just south of Point Pleasant Inlet.

The discovery of this tiny jellyfish in the waters of New Jersey has come as quite a surprise.

The clinging jellyfish usually inhabits the Pacific Ocean.

A brush with multiple clinging jellyfish could possibly lead the victim to a hospital emergency room visit with kidney failure.

"Small things can pack a powerful punch affiliated with their venom and their toxin," said Paul Bologna, the Director of Aquatic Science, Montclair State University.

Scientists aren't sure how the clinging jellyfish have gotten to this area, but they do have a theory.

"A species like this probably was transported via some ship at some point and the larvae came into the system," Bologna said.

The jellyfish have also been spotted in the waters of Cape Cod and Long Island Sound.

Clinging jellyfish hang on to eelgrass or seaweed and usually remain in deep water during the day and surface at night to feed.

They also usually live in bay water.