sea wasp
n.
Any of various jellyfishes of the class Cubozoa, having a cube-shaped medusa and a venomous, sometimes fatal sting.
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Any of various jellyfishes of the class Cubozoa, having a cube-shaped medusa and a venomous, sometimes fatal sting.
Chironex fleckeri
FAMILY
Chirodropidae
TAXONOMY
Chironex fleckeri Southcutt, 1956, Australia.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
English: Box jelly.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Reaches up to 11.8 in (30 cm) in diameter, but is difficult to see despite its large size. The as many as 15 tentacles in each corner can reach up to 98.4 ft (30 m) distance from the bell.
DISTRIBUTION
Tropical waters around Australia, from Exmouth, Western Australia, to Bustard Heads, Queensland, as well as around the Indo-west Pacific Ocean near Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, and Vietnam. Full extent of the distribution has not yet been determined.
HABITAT
Usually shallow waters around creek or mangrove outlets; often reported swimming around pier pilings in search of food.
BEHAVIOR
Swims around pier pilings.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Primary diet items are fishes and prawns.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
The search for the polyp of Chironex fleckeri took years before polyps were found attached under some rocks in a northern Australian estuary. Polyps have been found in mangrove swamps and river outlets, but not much is known about how the planulae find their way to these locations. Polyps start to metamorphose into medusae in the Australian spring (September) and continue until the first large summer rains (January), when they are flushed out into the ocean.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not listed by the IUCN.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
The venom is neurotoxic, cardiotoxic, and dermonecrotic (causes skin tissue to be damaged). Death can occur extremely rapidly while the victim is still in the water or on the beach. Antivenom is available but must be administered quickly. Vinegar can be used to remove undischarged nematocysts.
Members of the order Cubomedusae in the class Schyphozoa. They carry potent venom sufficient to kill an adult human. There are no records of animal mortality. Called also sea wasp.
| Box Jelly | ||||||||
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"Cubomedusae", from Ernst Haeckel's
Kunstformen der Natur, 1904
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Box jellyfish are water-dwelling invertebrates belonging to the class Cubozoa, named for their cube-shaped medusae. They share many characteristics with their relatives the true jellies in the class Scyphozoa. The name sea wasp is also applied to some species of cubozoans, including Chironex fleckeri and Carybdea alata.
Box jellies are found in Australia, the Philippines, and many other tropical areas. They are known for the often-fatal effects of their venom, although not all species are dangerous to humans. One box jelly species is the most venomous species in the world[1].
Box jellies use powerful venom contained in epidermic nematocysts, a structure exclusive to stinging cnidarians, to stun or kill their prey prior to ingestion, or as an instrument for defense. Their venom is the most deadly in the animal kingdom and has caused at least 5,567 recorded deaths since 1884.[1] Most often, these fatal envenomations are perpetrated by the largest species of box jelly, Chironex fleckeri, owing to its high concentration of nematocysts, though at least two deaths in Australia have been attributed to the thumbnail-sized irukandji jellyfish (Carukia barnesi).[2] Those who fall victim to Carukia barnesi suffer several severe symptoms known as Irukandji syndrome.[3]
The venom of cubozoans is very distinct from that of scyphozoans, and is used to catch prey (fish and small invertebrates) and for defense from predators. Sea turtles, however, are apparently unaffected by the sting and eat box jellies.
In the Australian summer from November to April or May, box jellyfish are abundant in the warm waters of northern Australia and drive away most swimmers. However, they generally disappear during the Australian Winter. Australian researchers have used ultrasonic tagging to learn that these creatures sleep on the ocean floor between 3 pm and dawn. It is believed that they sleep to conserve energy and to avoid predators.
Some theorize box jellies actively hunt their prey—for effective hunting they move extremely quickly (at speeds up to 3 to 3.5 knots (1.5 to 1.8 m/s)) instead of drifting as do true jellyfish. They are known to be the only jellyfish with an active visual system, consisting of 24 eyes located on the center of each side of its bell.
The eyes occur in clusters on the four sides of the cube-like body. Sixteen are simply pits of light-sensitive pigment (eight slit-shaped eyes and eight lens-less pit eyes), but one pair in each cluster is surprisingly complex, with a sophisticated lens, retina, iris and cornea, all in an eye only 0.1 millimeters across.
The lenses on these eyes have been analyzed and could form distortion free images. Despite the perfection of the lenses, the retinas of the eyes lie closer to the lens than the optimum focal distance, resulting in a blurred image. One of these eyes in each set has an iris that contracts in bright light. Four of the eyes can only make out simple light levels.
It is not currently known how this visual information is processed by Cubozoa, as they lack a central nervous system, although they seem to have four brain-like organs.[4]
If swimming at a beach where box jellies are known to be present, a bottle of vinegar is an extremely useful addition to the first aid kit. Following a sting, vinegar should be applied for a minimum of 30 seconds.[5] Acetic acid, found in vinegar, disables the box jelly's nematocysts that have not yet discharged into the bloodstream (though it will not alleviate the pain). Vinegar may also be applied to adherent tentacles, which should then be removed immediately; this should be done with the use of a towel or glove to avoid bringing the tentacles into further contact with the skin. These tentacles will still sting if separate from the bell, or indeed if the creature is dead. Removing the tentacles without first applying vinegar may cause unfired nematocysts to come into contact with the skin and fire, resulting in a greater degree of envenomation. If no vinegar is available, however, careful removal of the tentacles by hand is recommended.[6] Vinegar has helped save dozens of lives on Australian beaches. Although commonly recommended in folklore and even some papers on sting treatment,[7] there is no scientific evidence that urine, ammonia, meat tenderizer, sodium bicarbonate, boric acid, lemon juice, or papaya will disable further stinging, and indeed these substances may even hasten the release of venom.[8] Pressure immobilization bandages, methylated spirits, or alcohol should not be used for jelly stings.[6][9] Often in severe Chironex fleckeri stings cardiac arrest occurs quickly, so Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can be life saving and takes priority over all other treatment options (including application of vinegar). Activate the emergency medical system for immediate transport to the hospital.
If the effects are minor, pain may be managed with local application of ice, analgesics, and antihistamines.[10] If significant envenoming occurs, further treatment for systemic symptoms may be required. Box jellyfish (Chironex fleckeri) Antivenom is available from ambulance crews, hospitals, and medical centers close to where the box jellyfish are found. It may reduce life-threatening complications, and has been suggested for significant stings to possibly reduce scarring. However, there have been conflicting studies over the efficacy of this antivenom. Whether the antivenom has the potential to reverse the life-threatening cardiotoxicity remains uncertain. Antivenom may need to be given within minutes and possibly in large doses to reverse the symptoms of significant stings.[11] There is no antivenom for irukandji (Carukia barnesi) stings with treatment being largely supportive with analgesia being the mainstay of management.
Pantyhose, or tights, were once worn by Australian lifeguards to prevent stings. These have now been replaced by lycra stinger suits. Some popular recreational beaches erect enclosures (stinger nets) offshore to keep predators out, though smaller species such as Carukia barnesi (Irukandji Jellyfish) can still filter through the net.[12]
There are two families of Cubozoas, Chirodropidae and Carybdeidae containing 20 species between them. A phylogenic analysis of their relationships is yet to be published.
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![]() | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more | |
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![]() | Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Box jellyfish". Read more |
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