ocean wildlife

Information about the Box Jellyfish:

The Box Jellyfish - also called the Sea Wasp - is a species of jellyfish found in coastal waters from northern Australia and New Guinea north to the Philippines and Vietnam. It has been described as "the most lethal jellyfish in the world", with at least 63 known deaths from 1884 to 1996. Notorious for its sting, this jelly has tentacles up to 9.8 feet long (3 meters) which are covered with millions of cnidocytes. On contact these release microscopic darts delivering a powerful venom. Being stung commonly results in excruciating pain, and if the sting area is significant, an untreated victim may die in as few as three minutes. The amount of venom in one animal is said to be enough to kill 60 adult humans (although most stings are mild). C. fleckeri is the largest of the box jellies, many of which may carry similarly toxic venom. Its bell grows to about the size of a basketball. From each of the four corners of the bell trails a cluster of 15 tentacles. The pale blue bell has faint markings; viewed from certain angles, it bears a somewhat eerie resemblance to a human head or skull. Since it is virtually transparent, the creature is nearly impossible to see in its habitat, posing particular danger to swimmers.

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