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Stinging jellyfish

Classifying box jellyfish

Chirodropid jellyfish

Carybdeid jellyfish

Distribution & abundance

Life cycle

Vision & movement

Feeding & venom

The sting

Irukandji syndrome

Preventing the sting

Future research

First aid

Bluebottles & Pacific man-o-war

More information


 

Other stinging jellyfish

All jellyfish have stinging cells and several other jellyfish in Australian waters can cause very painful stings. These jellyfish are ‘scyphozoan’ jellyfish and not cubozoan or box jellyfish. The bells of scyphozoan jellyfish are domed and not box-shaped and have many tentacles hanging underneath.

Cyanea

Photo by Clay Bryce, Western Australian Museum

CYANEA

Commonly called the hair jelly or lion’s mane jellyfish. Cyanea can be up to 400mm across the bell and has many hair-like tentacles which can be up to 500mm long. The hair jelly is found in coastal waters throughout Australia. The sting is unpleasant.

Pelagia

Photo by Lisa-ann Gershwin

PELAGIA

This jellyfish is found around the world in tropical and temperate waters. It can be up to 30mm across the bell in Australia. Stings are painful.

 

 


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.