Jellyfish:1 Fishermen:0
November 6, 2009 9:35 AM   Subscribe

 
IT BEGINS
posted by The Whelk at 9:38 AM on November 6, 2009 [17 favorites]


Upon reading, it looks like that jellyfish were defending themselves, or at least, were not in attack mode.
posted by Danf at 9:39 AM on November 6, 2009


That's right. The headline should be: Jellyfishermen Can't Pull in The Big Ones Without Sinking their Own Boat.
posted by kozad at 9:42 AM on November 6, 2009 [6 favorites]


Ia! Ia! Cthulhu Fhtagn!
posted by willmize at 9:43 AM on November 6, 2009 [8 favorites]


I love how the headline and scale-less photo strongly imply that ONE MONSTROUS JELLYFISH BENT ON DESTRUCTION attacked the trawler, Jules Verne-style.
posted by peachfuzz at 9:43 AM on November 6, 2009 [20 favorites]


I'm wondering about the locations mentioned in the article. Chiba is pretty much opposite the Sea of Japan, where they say the horrid invasion signalling the end of times is happening, yet they mention that the boat capsized off of Chiba, which is on the Pacific Ocean. More importantly, Chiba is where I live, and, giant overlords of our new way of life permitting, where I go to the beach in the summer. I have seen little (say, the size of a PSP UMD disc) jellyfish, but never this kind of monster. I'm hoping they'll stay up north, far, far away from me.

I mean, think about it. There you are swimming in the ocean, and you turn around, and one of those things is between you and dry land. What, aside from soiling yourself, would you do?
posted by Ghidorah at 9:44 AM on November 6, 2009


swim around it.
posted by kuujjuarapik at 9:45 AM on November 6, 2009 [8 favorites]


Each of the jellyfish can weigh up to 200 kg

NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE
posted by infinitywaltz at 9:48 AM on November 6, 2009 [9 favorites]


Yeah, they don't really locomote too much, and they don't likely know where you are.
posted by echo target at 9:49 AM on November 6, 2009


"Japanese fishing trawler sunk by giant jellyfish" sure is a more entertaining headline than "nitwits try to pull in too heavy a net".
posted by jet_silver at 9:50 AM on November 6, 2009 [10 favorites]


Man, Toho Company will run wild with this!
posted by Naberius at 9:50 AM on November 6, 2009 [2 favorites]


Oh shit, the jellyfish joined Sea Shepard!
posted by Pope Guilty at 9:52 AM on November 6, 2009 [2 favorites]


King Ghidorah was unavailable for comment. Next up, Chet with your five day accu-Godzilla forecast!
posted by boo_radley at 9:53 AM on November 6, 2009 [3 favorites]


Experts believe that one contributing factor to the jellyfish becoming more frequent visitors to Japanese waters may be a decline in the number of predators, which include sea turtles and certain species of fish.

Be worth seeing which of these species may be victims of overfishing right now.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:56 AM on November 6, 2009


I hate it when that happens.
posted by StickyCarpet at 9:57 AM on November 6, 2009


Where's Gamera when we need him?
posted by infinitywaltz at 9:57 AM on November 6, 2009


King Ghidorah was unavailable for comment. Next up, Chet with your five day accu-Godzilla forecast!
posted by boo_radley at 12:53 PM


Nope, he's here. Line 6.
posted by kuujjuarapik at 10:00 AM on November 6, 2009 [1 favorite]


The kraken stirs. And ten billion sushi dinners cry out for vengeance.*
posted by EvaDestruction at 10:11 AM on November 6, 2009 [4 favorites]


Ghidorah: What, aside from soiling yourself, would you do?

It depends, would you be wearing a pair of lederhosen and consorting with known lobsters?
posted by Kattullus at 10:14 AM on November 6, 2009




Up from the depths/thirty stories high/breathing fire/his head in the sky...

JELLYZILLA! JELLYZILLA!
posted by GuyZero at 10:21 AM on November 6, 2009


Yeah, I was really hoping for some horror movie stuff but they just didn't gauge properly when hauling in what was basically dead weight. Meh.

It would be great if they'd filmed it, and while going down made a deal of fending off tentacles Ed Wood-style.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 10:36 AM on November 6, 2009


Nemo needs an update; it's not sardines that sink ships, but jellyfish! Swim, swim for the bottom!
posted by five fresh fish at 10:42 AM on November 6, 2009


Be worth seeing which of these species may be victims of overfishing right now.

Most likely Mola or ocean sunfish. They eat large jellyfish, and are themselves eaten in Asia.
posted by kuujjuarapik at 10:42 AM on November 6, 2009 [1 favorite]


It must be jellyfish, cause jam don't swim like that!!
posted by Astro Zombie at 10:43 AM on November 6, 2009 [3 favorites]


Be worth seeing which of these species may be victims of overfishing right now.

Every fish, in the Sea of Japan. The jellyfiation of the oceans.
posted by stbalbach at 10:43 AM on November 6, 2009 [2 favorites]


Why would they want to haul them in anyway?
Just to kill them, or did their curiosity get the better of them?
posted by Flashman at 10:44 AM on November 6, 2009


Oh, come on! Japan is attacked by tentacled monstrosities and we're supposed to not make snarky comments (possibly involving underaged schoolgirls with oversized... eyes)?
posted by PontifexPrimus at 10:46 AM on November 6, 2009


Why would they want to haul them in anyway?

If you can't clear your net, you can't fish.
posted by kuujjuarapik at 10:47 AM on November 6, 2009


So who thinks that Aquaman is a joke superhero now, air-breathers?
posted by Halloween Jack at 11:09 AM on November 6, 2009 [4 favorites]


This relative scale graphic is a huge let-down, as is reading the text of the article: The trawler, the Diasan Shinsho-maru, capsized off Chiba`as its three-man crew was trying to haul in a net containing dozens of huge Nomura's jellyfish.

Replace large jellyfish with big fish of any other sort, and the story is really rather dull, well below the threshold of concern for Godzilla to get involved. Maybe we can call forth Chibi Godzilla.
posted by filthy light thief at 11:10 AM on November 6, 2009


I, for one, welcome our new jellyfish overlords.
posted by DaddyNewt at 11:16 AM on November 6, 2009


GuyZero: "Up from the depths/thirty stories high/breathing fire/his head in the sky ...

JELLYZILLA! JELLYZILLA!
"

...and Jellyzooky!
posted by Rhaomi at 11:21 AM on November 6, 2009


J̶̦̱̠̺̤̓͑̐ͮ́̃ͣ͗e̝̪̪̫̠̠̝̠͎ͪ̏ͪͦ̀l̶̻̦̗̜̺̝̓ͥ̊͒͟l̡̩̠̰͖̞͒̕ỷ̷̖̭͈̞̪͈͕͙̈̍̈́̓̄͛f̦͖̳͉̭̤́ͣͦ̍ͨͩi̢̨̖̮̳͍̝ͫ̍͠s͓̺̹͂ͩͭ́̕͜h͚͙̞̦̖̳͕̟̹͗̒̔͊̐̋̚!̨̥̝͚̙̔̑̄ͭ̍
posted by The otter lady at 11:27 AM on November 6, 2009 [2 favorites]


It only wanted someone to love.
posted by Salvor Hardin at 11:29 AM on November 6, 2009 [2 favorites]


These go well with peanutbutterfish and wonderbreadfish, and a glass of salty milk.
posted by not_on_display at 11:30 AM on November 6, 2009 [1 favorite]


One of the nice things about browsing the web with Safari is that it turns the Zalgo Effect into a mess of unsupported Unicode boxes.
posted by JHarris at 11:33 AM on November 6, 2009


Where's Gamera when we need him?

Protecting the children.
posted by drezdn at 11:34 AM on November 6, 2009




Jellyfish look like some hocked up loogie you find floating in the local pool. Ew.
posted by stormpooper at 11:38 AM on November 6, 2009


I, for one, welcome our new highly toxic invertebrate overlords.
posted by mosk at 11:40 AM on November 6, 2009


Yeah, they don't really locomote too much, and they don't likely know where you are.

The only difference between you and a dead fool is that you're not dead.
posted by You Should See the Other Guy at 11:48 AM on November 6, 2009 [2 favorites]


The whales hired it.
posted by ZenMasterThis at 11:51 AM on November 6, 2009


I believe people have been suggesting that we'd need to get a bigger boat, for quite some time now.
posted by CynicalKnight at 11:58 AM on November 6, 2009 [1 favorite]


OH SHIT
posted by empath at 12:00 PM on November 6, 2009 [2 favorites]


Oh jeez, I am so sorry you guys. One line! You read one line from an ancient tome bound in human skin and inked with the blood of innocents, and suddenly every unnameable horror from the deep thinks it's time to rise up and destroy the universe of man. Wow I did not think that one through.
posted by drinkyclown at 12:07 PM on November 6, 2009 [5 favorites]


I really wish they'd keep the books bound in human skin with sigils to end the world out of the reach of children in libraries. You should have to request them or something.
posted by The Whelk at 12:12 PM on November 6, 2009


STUPIT JELLEFICH DOO NOT HAV ELBOZE
BOATS TO CHRUNCHES FOR FOODS
WE EAT STUPID JELLEFISH
THEN WE TIPE MORE TO YOU ABOUT
HOW WEE GET FINGERS SOON
THEN YOU AND SUTPID JELLFISH WILL BE WORRY
posted by WolfDaddy at 12:25 PM on November 6, 2009 [3 favorites]


I really wish they'd keep the books bound in human skin with sigils to end the world out of the reach of children in libraries. You should have to request them or something.

Oh, we do, we do! But then a couple of kids come in with one kid sitting on top of the other kid's shoulders, wearing a long trench coat, fedora and fake mustache, and even though they're swaying back and forth and barely keeping their balance and the mustache keeps coming askew, they're just so gosh-darn cute that we let them check out the book anyway.

And then, before you know it, that which lies dead and dreaming rises. I hope that you remember that the next time that you come in and want a pass on your overdue fines. The rules are there for a reason, mister.
posted by Halloween Jack at 1:07 PM on November 6, 2009 [3 favorites]


Updated List of Sea Creatures the Japanese Hate:

-Dolphin
-Whale
-Jellyfish
posted by mannequito at 1:12 PM on November 6, 2009


HOLY SHIT BEYONCE WAS RIGHT

WE TOTALLY WEREN'T READY FOR THIS JELLY
posted by hifiparasol at 1:26 PM on November 6, 2009 [8 favorites]


I'm a single cell! I'm a single cell! I'm a single cell! I'm single cell! Put your flagellum up!
posted by The Whelk at 1:27 PM on November 6, 2009 [5 favorites]


"One of the nice things about browsing the web with Safari is that it turns the Zalgo Effect into a mess of unsupported Unicode boxes."

Even if you aren't so, uh, blessed, Jessamyn has indicated the mods are deleting it when they see it so you just have to flag it and it goes away.
posted by Mitheral at 1:28 PM on November 6, 2009


I apologize. Sorry.
posted by The otter lady at 1:32 PM on November 6, 2009


First they came for the Japanese fishing trawlers...
posted by dnesan at 1:50 PM on November 6, 2009


Where's Gamera when we need him?

Not me pal. I swore off jellyfish since that one time in the Gulf of Siam. I was burping em up for a week. You're on your own this time Japan and I don't care how many schoolkids you throw at me.
posted by gamera at 1:57 PM on November 6, 2009 [3 favorites]


Have they tried pissing on the boat?
posted by qvantamon at 2:15 PM on November 6, 2009


Put the crab in the jellyfish, drink 'em both up
posted by zota at 2:18 PM on November 6, 2009


Jellyfish look like some hocked up loogie you find floating in the local pool. Ew.

Hey, if I hocked up phosphorescent, tentacled, self-propelled loogies, I'd be showing everyone! Either that or I'd be getting ready to decimate Tokyo.
posted by timeo danaos at 3:36 PM on November 6, 2009


Updated List of Sea Creatures the Japanese Hate:

-Dolphin
-Whale
-Jellyfish


I believe you mean List of Sea Creatures the Japanese Eat.
posted by Ghidorah at 4:41 PM on November 6, 2009 [2 favorites]


(Shades of Batman Returns, two members of Metafilter dancing together, when it slowly dawns on them what their usernames are, and what it means for their love)

gamera, does this mean we have to fight, inadvertantly destroying much of a major metropolis in the process?

(one tear runs down each cheek, three lips quiver)
posted by Ghidorah at 4:44 PM on November 6, 2009 [3 favorites]


"Jellyfish can be deadly if you eat it.."

"So can a kiss, if you mean it."

posted by The Whelk at 4:46 PM on November 6, 2009 [3 favorites]


From a link on the page. Remember it's only a picture.

A shark smiles.
posted by fourcheesemac at 5:23 PM on November 6, 2009


Next up, Chet with your five day accu-Godzilla forecast!

This comment was crying out for a visual:

Infographic: Accu-Godzilla Forecast
posted by mikepop at 8:56 PM on November 6, 2009 [6 favorites]


...I'd be getting ready to decimate Tokyo.

Them's fightin' words, mister.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 1:36 AM on November 7, 2009


Why would they want to haul them in anyway?

If you can't clear your net, you can't fish.


People eat jellyfish.....as their population begins to boom, perhaps we should eat more of them....
posted by psycho-alchemy at 3:53 AM on November 7, 2009


I've never heard of eating jellyfish. Not that I doubt you, you understand, but, where, in what part(s) of the world do people eat jellyfish?
posted by flapjax at midnite at 3:58 AM on November 7, 2009


China, for one. I've seen dried, flattened and I think salted jellyfish for sale in Chinese markets in the Boston area. Never eaten it though. Now I kind of want to.
posted by kuujjuarapik at 7:06 AM on November 7, 2009


Thai jellyfish salad:

2 cups jellyfish, cleaned and cut bite-sized
1/2 thinly sliced onion
2 thinly sliced shallots
8-10 crushed hot chillies
1 tsp. thinly sliced red spur chillies
1 1/2 tbsp. fish sauce
2 tbsp. lime juice

1. Immerse the jellyfish in boiling water then remove and immediately plunge into cold water for a few moment. After removing from the water, drain. Thia will give the jellyfish the right munchy texture.
2. Toss the jellyfish with the onion, shallot, and chillies, seasoning to taste with fish sauce and lime juice. Put onto a plate on which lettuce has been arranged and decorate with slices of red spur chilli.

yum.
posted by kuujjuarapik at 7:12 AM on November 7, 2009


Strangely, the jellyfish I had in China was crunchy.
And salty, and not very tasty.
posted by gemmy at 11:14 AM on November 7, 2009


Flapjax, Japanese people eat jellyfish too. Whatever you do, don't order the kurage when you really want karaage. The first is the bone-chilling, chewing-on-a-rubber-band sort of unpleasantness that is jellyfish. The second is happy, fun, crispy crunchy fried chicken. You do, luckily, only usually see jellyfish at Chinese restaurants in Japan. It's here though. Maybe we can order some at the next meetup. I'll make sure to be too full to try it, but you can have my share.

If you can't wait, I think they even serve it at Bamiyan.
posted by Ghidorah at 2:30 PM on November 7, 2009


The jellyfish found the boat crunchy, too salty and not very tasty.
posted by knoyers at 3:39 PM on November 7, 2009 [2 favorites]


Japanese people eat jellyfish too. Whatever you do, don't order the kurage when you really want karaage. The first is the bone-chilling, chewing-on-a-rubber-band sort of unpleasantness that is jellyfish.

Jellyfish is more of a summertime treat. Nice and cold, and crunchy and vinegary.
posted by KokuRyu at 11:20 PM on November 8, 2009


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