![]() ![]() Their speed and vision leads some researchers to believe that box jellyfish actively hunt their prey, mainly shrimp and small fish. Some of these eyes are surprisingly sophisticated, with a lens and cornea, an iris that can contract in bright light, and a retina. There have been roughly 100 deaths due to Chironex stings during the past 100 years in northern Australia. A big sting from this guy can easily kill a human, with death occurring in as little as three minutes. They have clusters of eyes on each side of the box. Chironex fleckeri grows to about the size of a human head, and has tentacles up to three meters long. Most notably, box jellyfish can swim-at maximum speeds approaching four knots-whereas most species of jellyfish float wherever the current takes them, with little control over their direction. Chironex fleckeri is the largest of the box jellyfish, with body sizes reaching up to one foot in diameter and thick, bootlace-like tentacles up to 10 feet long.īox jellyfish have traits that set them apart from other jellyfish. This includes the Australian box jellyfish ( Chironex fleckeri), considered the most venomous marine animal. While box jellyfish are found in warm coastal waters around the world, the lethal varieties are found primarily in the Indo-Pacific region and northern Australia. Of the 50 or so species of box jellyfish, also called sea wasps, only a few have venom that can be lethal to humans. ![]() But don’t choose the mountains over the ocean just yet. People and animals unfortunate enough to be injected with this poison may experience paralysis, cardiac arrest, and even death, all within a few minutes of being stung. fleckeri venom proteins, CfTX-A (40 kDa) and CfTX-B (42 kDa), which were isolated from C. ![]() Here, we describe the characterization of two C. They may not look dangerous, but the sting from a box jellyfish could be enough to send you to Davy Jones's locker-a watery grave, that is.īox jellyfish, named for their body shape, have tentacles covered in biological booby traps known as nematocysts - tiny darts loaded with poison. The box jellyfish Chironex fleckeri produces extremely potent and rapid-acting venom that is harmful to humans and lethal to prey. ![]()
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