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Stinging jellyfish

Classifying box jellyfish

Carybdeid jellyfish

Distribution & abundance

Life cycle

Vision & movement

Feeding & venom

The sting

Irukandji syndrome

Preventing the sting

Future research

First aid

Other stinging jellyfish

Bluebottles & Pacific man-o-war

More information

  

Chirodropid jellyfish

Chirodropid jellyfish have multiple tentacles hanging from each corner of their box-shaped bodies. They usually have stinging cells only on their tentacles.

Chironex fleckeri

Chironex

 

Chironex

Photo by Chloe Lucas, CRC Reef
  • Large, almost transparent jellyfish up to 350mm across
  • Up to 15 tentacles from each corner of its box-shaped body
  • Found in tropical waters from Exmouth, WA to near Gladstone, Queensland
  • Found near the coast and some coastal islands such as Magnetic Island near Townsville and some inshore Whitsunday Islands
  • Severe and potentially life-threatening sting that causes burning skin pain. Severe stings may cause the victim’s breathing to cease or the heart to stop

Chiropsalmus

Chiropsalmus

 

Chiropsalmus

Photo by Lisa-ann Gershwin

These jellyfish are smaller than Chironex and have up to nine tentacles from each corner of the bell. Only one species of Chiropsalmus was thought to occur in Australia (mistakenly called Chiropsalmus quadrigatus). Now thought to be several different species that are yet to be named. The sting is painful but does not cause irukandji syndrome.

 


CRC Reef Research Centre Ltd

PO Box 772 Townsville
Queensland 4810 Australia
Telephone: 61 7 4729 8400
Facsimile: 61 7 4729 8499
Email: info@crcreef.com
Website: www.reef.crc.org.au

CRC Reef Research Centre Ltd was established and is supported under the Australian Government's Cooperative Research Centres Program. Its mission is to plan, fund and manage world-leading science for the sustainable use of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. CRC Reef is a joint venture between Association of Marine Park Tourism Operators, Australian Institute of Marine Science, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Great Barrier Reef Research Foundation, James Cook University, Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, Queensland Seafood Industry Association, Sunfish Queensland Inc. The University of Queensland is an associate member.