The first Irukandji jellyfish to be bred in captivity were born in Townsville in April, creating worldwide media interest. ‘Irukandji syndrome’ is a painful and debilitating set of symptoms that has caused the deaths of at least two people on the Great Barrier Reef. Up to 10 species of jellyfish found in northern Australian waters are thought to be responsible for the syndrome, but only one, Carukia barnesi, is a proven culprit.

Carukia barnesi polyp – about
0.1mm across.
Photo by Heather Walling, JCU.

According to CRC Reef researcher Ms Lisa-ann Gershwin, from James Cook University and the Australian Institute of Marine Science, “Being able to breed Carukia barnesi jellyfish is a giant step forward for Irukandji research. Specimens raised in captivity will be shared with researchers to develop an anti-venom, study the jellyfish toxins for pharmaceutical benefits, and work on rapid diagnostic techniques for Irukandji stings.”

Ms Heather Walling, a research officer at James Cook University, nurtured jellyfish caught by Surf Life Saving Queensland (SLSQ) lifeguards at Palm Cove near Cairns at the beginning of February.

“Several of the jellyfish spawned, and grew through a worm-like intermediate stage to become polyps,” she said. “This is the first major hurdle. They are now visible to the naked eye, and are dividing asexually to generate more polyps. Hopefully they will survive the polyp stage and soon change into tiny jellyfish.”

In a recent trip to the Kimberley in Western Australia, Lisa-ann Gershwin identified three more species of jellyfish thought to cause Irukandji syndrome.

One of the biggest obstacles to developing an anti-venom has been the lack of a regular supply of specimens. Between 10,000 and 1,000,000 specimens will be needed to develop an anti-venom, but typical annual catches have yielded only 200 to 1,000 Irukandji jellyfish. A captive breeding program is key to progressing this research.

CRC Reef Irukandji webpage

For more information contact Lisa-Ann Gershwin, lisa.gershwin@jcu.edu.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.

June 2004 In this Issue:

JELLY BABIES A WORLD FIRST

June 2004
In this Issue: