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Stinging jellyfish

Classifying box jellyfish

Chirodropid jellyfish

Carybdeid jellyfish

Distribution & abundance

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

 

  

Life cycle

There are almost 30 species of cubozoan or box jellyfish but the life cycles of only a few are known. The life cycle of the box jellyfish Chironex fleckeri was revealed in the early 1980s. Adult male and female jellyfish are thought to release sperm and eggs into the water. The fertilised eggs develop into ‘planula’ larvae which may swim for a few days before settling to the bottom of the creek. The planulae develop into polyps and crawl about for several days before attaching to rocks on the creek bed. The tiny polyps start feeding on plankton and then the polyps bud off extra polyps. Each polyp metamorphoses into a single miniature box jellyfish (called a medusa) about 1.5mm in size which grows and develops into larger jellyfish. These small jellyfish make their way to the creek mouth and along sandy beaches.

The life cycle of most carybdeid jellyfish including Carukia barnesi is unknown. The polyps of a carybdeid jellyfish from Puerto Rico have been found in creeks on dead bivalve shells.


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.