Animal Profiles
Jellyfish and hydrozoans

Box Jellyfish

Cubozoa

Living

Living individuals or members of this group exist today. This does not mean they are safe from extinction.

Box jellyfishes are named for their angular bells. This account describes Chironex fleckeri, an Australian coastal species whose long tentacles carry microscopic stinging capsules used to capture prey.

Stinging capsules (nematocysts) from Chironex fleckeri tentacles, seen by light microscopy at 400×.

Stinging capsules (nematocysts) from Chironex fleckeri tentacles, seen by light microscopy at 400×.

Brinkman DL, Aziz A, Loukas A, Potriquet J, Seymour J, Mulvenna J · CC BY-SA

At a glance

Location
Chironex fleckeri is the representative used here. The account focuses on shallow coastal waters around northern Australia rather than applying uncertain distant records to the whole species. Other box jellyfishes have different ranges.
Habitat
Coast
Diet
Carnivore
Food
Small fishes and prawns supply food.

Classification

Common name
Box Jellyfish
Browse group
Jellyfish and hydrozoans
Scientific name or taxon
Cubozoa
Taxon rank
class
Source classification
Cubozoa

Taxonomy checked against GBIF. For breeds and hybrids, this describes the listed parent taxon.

Three things to know

  • Its bell has four corners.
  • Its tentacles carry microscopic stinging capsules.
  • It can swim actively.

Habitat and range

Chironex fleckeri is the representative used here. The account focuses on shallow coastal waters around northern Australia rather than applying uncertain distant records to the whole species. Other box jellyfishes have different ranges.

Appearance and adaptations

The transparent bell has four corners, from which groups of tentacles hang. Stinging capsules called nematocysts are microscopic structures within the tentacles; the lead micrograph shows these rather than a whole animal.

Diet and behaviour

Small fishes and prawns supply food. Tentacles capture and immobilise prey before it is moved towards the mouth. This jellyfish can swim actively, rather than relying entirely on currents to change location.

Sources

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