Box Jellyfish

The box jellyfish's venom is the most deadly in the world, and it contains toxins that attack the heart, nervous system, and skin cells. They use their venom to kill their prey (like shrimp and fish) fast and easy so that they don't damage their delicate tentacles. The pain of a box jellyfish's sting is so intense that a person usually goes into shock and drowns before getting to shore. Box jellyfish are also called sea wasps and marine stingers. Box jellyfish live primarily in coastal waters off Northern Australia and throughout the Indo-Pacific.



Each of a box jellyfish's tentacles have about 5,000 stinging cells. These are triggered not by touch, but the presence of a chemical on the outer layer of its prey. However, an interesting fact is that sea turtles are unaffected by the sting of the box jellyfish and regularly eat them.

Fast Facts
1. They are invertebrate
2. Carnivore
3. Lifespan in the wild is less than a year
4. They are 10 ft long and weigh 4.4 lbs
5. A group is called a fluther or a smack