Box Jellyfish

CLASSIFICATION     GENERAL INFO    SPECIAL FEATURES   HABITAT      DIET     REPRODUCTION          BODY SYSTEMS             HUMAN IMPACT         WEBLINKS        SOURCES  

 

CLASSIFICATION:

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Cnidaria
Class:  Cubozoa
Order:  Chirodropida
Family: Chirodropidae
Genus species:  Chironex Fleckeri

SPECIAL FEATURES
The box jellyfish is one of the most venomous creatures in the world. There are thousands of tiny little stingers on a tentacle called a nematocyst. These stingers immediately inject venom into the bloodstream once it comes in contact with the skin. It is also one of the fastest swimming jellyfish, which has been recorded to swim up to six meters a second in bursts. 

REPRODUCTION
Little is known about the reproduction of box jellyfish. Most scientists believe that they travel to estuaries to breed. This is based on the fact that this is where the jellyfish's polyps are normally found.

Box jellyfish stings

The box jellyfish is one of the most lethal jellyfish in the world.  It has caused around 64 deaths in Australia, where it is commonly found, since deaths were first recorded in 1883. The amount of venom in one jellyfish is said to be enough to kill 60 humans in one sting. Being stung results in a very large amount of pain and if not treated, the victim can die within three minutes.

BODY SYSTEMS
The jellyfishes integumentary system consists of 60 tentacles in clusters of 15 on each corner of its bell.   These tentacles are abount 15 centimeters long when they are swimming, and about three meters long when they are hunting. The bell can grow up to the size of a basketball, and is shaped like a box or cube, which is where it derives the name box jellyfish.

The skeletal system consists of a hydrostatic skeleton, and an organic exoskeleton.

It has no digestive tract, so it uses cilia in the digestive cavity to move gases, water, and dissolved food around before absorbtion.

The nervous system consists of of four eye clusters with 24 eyes on each cluster.  It is believed that they can distinguish color somewhat, although it is still debated on whether or not they can form images. They are also one of the few species of jellyfish to possess a nerve ring, which is located around the base of the umbrella. Little is known about how they process information though, because of the lack of a central nervous system. 

The stingers on the tentacles are the most important part of the jellyfish.  They are used to catch their prey, but sometimes unfortunately they are used to sting humans.  If a person is stung, they can die within 4 minutes.

DIET:
Box jellyfish's diet consists of small fish, sergestid prawns, shrimp, and even other species of jellyfish.

HUMAN IMPACT:
Humans usually don't impact the life of a box jellyfish, unless someone is swimming in its natural habitat.  Even then, it is normally the human that is most impacted, not the jellyfish. Scientists are trying to come up with an anitvenom, although none exists yet to this day. Pouring vinegar on the wound is the best treatment, because this prevents more stings from the tentacle.

WEBLINKS:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYUZxS1bZR4

Nematocyst