A 10-tonne fishing trawler has been sunk by gigantic jellyfish off the east coast of Japan.
The fishing boat, called the Diasan Shinsho-maru, capsized as its crew was trying to retrieve a net with dozens of huge Nomura's jellyfish inside, UK newspaper the Telegraph reports.
Japanese waters have been invaded by an unusually high number of the giant Nomura's jellyfish — which can weigh up to 200kg — this year.
The three-man crew was thrown into the water off Chiba when the boat overturned, but was then rescued by another trawler.
A local coast guard reported the sea was calm at the time of the accident.
Nomura's jellyfish can grow up to 2m in diameter.
Sightings of the species off Japan's coasts were rare last year, but in 2005 a similar invasion of the jellyfish caused mayhem by damaging nets, injuring fishermen and rendering some fish inedible because of their poisonous stings.
Experts believe a decline in numbers of the jellyfish's predators, including sea turtles, may be behind this year's influx.
Acknowledgements: MSN NZ News
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