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Box Jellies: Cubozoa

Behavior And Reproduction, Sea Wasp (chironex Fleckeri): Species AccountPHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS, GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, DIET, BOX JELLIES AND PEOPLE, CONSERVATION STATUS



SEA WASP (Chironex fleckeri): SPECIES ACCOUNT

Box jellies have a cube-shaped body, or bell, also called an umbrella. The mouth is inside the bell. Tentacles are attached to each of the four lower corners of the bell. Some box jellies have several tentacles attached to each corner, and others have only one tentacle at each corner. A structure near the base of the bell contains one balance organ and six eyes.




Box jellies live in warm coastal waters worldwide.


Box jellies live over sand just above the sea bottom during the day and move toward the surface at night.


Box jellies eat fish and crustaceans (krus-TAY-shuns), which are water-dwelling animals that have jointed legs and a hard shell but no backbone.


Box jellies are often known as "killer box jellies," although only one type, the sea wasp, is lethal to humans.

KNOW YOUR STINGER

Although it keeps undischarged box jelly stingers from firing, vinegar stimulates stinger firing from other jellyfish.

DEADLIEST

The sting of a box jelly can kill a person in thirty seconds. The venom from one sea wasp can kill sixty adults.

Box jellies are not threatened or endangered.

Additional topics

Animal Life ResourceJellyfish, Sponges, and Other Simple Animals