![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SEI_283136865-abfd.jpg\")
\n\t\tThe warty comb jellyfish is one the most harmful invasive species in the world (Picture: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
\t\t
\n\t\tThe warty comb jellyfish is one the most harmful invasive species in the world (Picture: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a famous Italian<\/a> city that attracts up to 30 million visitors every year, but now Venice<\/a>\u2019s world-renowned waterways are welcoming a new type of tourist.<\/p>\n Cannibalistic jellyfish have made the Italian city their new home and disrupted native fish populations wreaking havoc on fishermen\u2019s trade.<\/p>\n They are considered one of the 100 most harmful invasive species across the world.<\/p>\n The warty comb jellyfish, nicknamed the sea walnut, is known to gobble up its own offspring and has a transient anus that only shows during defecation.<\/p>\n \t\t \t\t The squishy creature usually lives in the western Atlantic,\u00a0which stretches from the Arctic<\/a> to the southern tip of South America, but has recently been found in the Adriatic Sea.<\/p>\n It\u2019s thought that they crossed the globe and invaded Venice\u2019s waters after being accidentally transported there in boats\u2019 ballast water, which is the part of a ship\u2019s tanks that stores seawater to stabilise the vessel.<\/p>\n Scientists have also warned that its recent colonisation of the Adriatic is due to warmer seas brought on by the climate crisis. Researchers said in a report that populations of the jellyfish bloomed in late spring and between late summer<\/a> and early autumn.<\/p>\n They said: \u2018These blooms are likely influenced by elevations in temperature and optimal salinity levels.\u2019<\/p>\n \t\t Their takeover of Venice\u2019s lagoons has caused a headache for fishermen. Venice\u2019s fishing industry is worth billions of euros.<\/p>\n The gelatinous fish clog fishing nets but they\u2019re also a fearsome predator.<\/p>\n The warty comb also eats fish eggs, larvae and plankton, which are essential to flourishing life in a lagoon ecosystem.<\/p>\n \t\t Scientists from the University of Padua and the National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics published a two-year study on the impact of the invasive species in Venice.<\/p>\n In the report, scientists said: \u2018Ongoing\u00a0climate change<\/a> could create increasingly favourable environmental conditions for this ctenophore, potentially boosting its presence in large aggregations and, consequently, increasing the risk of impacts on the entire lagoon ecosystem.\u201d<\/p>\n The warty comb joins another invasive species in the area: Atlantic blue crabs. <\/p>\n They prey on seafood like clams and mussels which are some of the area\u2019s main targets for fisherman.<\/p>\n Italians have responded to the challenge by adding blue crabs to their menus. You can buy cheap blue crabs from fish markets in the country.<\/p>\n Erica Zelante of the Michelin-starred restaurant Venissa in the Venetian lagoon area told The Telegraph<\/a>: \u2018The boom in crab numbers really began about two years ago. We started seeing a lot more of them here in the upper Adriatic.<\/p>\n \u2018Our chefs decided that it would make sense from an environmental point of view to start using this invasive species.\u2019<\/p>\n The fine dining restaurant uses blue crab with saffron, chillies and spaghetti. <\/p>\n Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk<\/a>.<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n For more stories like this, <\/strong>check our news page<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n Arrow Arrow Arrow![\"Grand](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SEI_249671194-7b0e.jpg\")
\n\t\tThe world famous Grand Canal on a sunny day in Venice(Picture: Shutterstock \/ Adisa)<\/p>\n![\"Underwater](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SEI_283136858-adf4.jpg\")
\n\t\tThe warty comb jellyfish clog fisherman\u2019s nets and eat seafood (Picture: Getty Images\/iStockphoto)<\/p>\n![\"Cargo](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SEI_283151860-7422.jpg\")
\n\t\tThe jellyfish are thought to have travelled to Venice in ballast water of tankers
(Picture: Getty Images)<\/p>\n![\"Macro](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SEI_283136777-b6b0.jpg\")
\n\t\tClimate change has led to warmer water temperatures which has caused the jellyfish population to bloom in Italy (Picture: Getty Images\/iStockphoto)<\/p>\n
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