Tuesday 29 May 2018

Deadly Creatures Box Jellyfish



I decided to change Tuesday's post from indestructible creatures to deadly creatures kicking off with the Box Jellyfish. It's scientific name is,Chironex fleckeri

They are called box jellyfish because their bell at the top of the jellyfish it has four corners, as well as clusters of trailing, stinging tentacles that can stretch more than two metres (6.4 feet). Wow that is long.

Human encounters occur most often when the box jellyfish comes close to shore to breed in estuaries. "That type of water is muddy, so you can't always see them and they can't see you," he added. If you're in the murky water and brush against one, you can easily be stung.

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. This includes the Australian box jellyfish, which is considered the most venomous marine animal.

A box jellyfish sting can be unbelievably painful,the venom is designed to paralyse fish, so it immobilises your nerves and affects breathing and movement. A large dose can cause cardiac arrest and death within minutes.

In North Queensland the big bellox jyfish are the most common jellyfish seen during 'stinger season'. It is so venomous it will kill you within two minutes if you receive two metres or more tentacle contact. If a tentacle touches the skin it results in a very painful sting.

So how do you treat a sting, rinse the area with vinegar, carefully pluck visible tentacles with fine tweezers and soak the skin in hot water, use water that's 43-45c or 110-113f

An 'immortal' jellyfish is swarming through the world's oceans, according to scientists. This jellyfish is able to revert back to a juvenile form once it mates after becoming sexually mature. Marine biologists say the jellyfish numbers are rocketing because they need not die.



5 comments:

  1. Hi, Jo-Anne!

    I was stung by a jellyfish around the age of eight while wading in the ocean. I'll never forget the painful sensation and looking down and seeing the tentacles streaming down my chest. I'm glad I wasn't stung by the deadly variety.

    Thanks for filing a report on this beautiful yet lethal creature, dear friend Jo-Anne!

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  2. Darn, Shady, that sucks... I haven't been around the ocean much, but did see one washed up on the beach the one time I made it there...

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  3. My son got stung by a jellyfish while swimming on Cape Cod. Lucky it wasn't a Box Jellyfish. I'm pretty sure we don't have those here.

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  4. These creatures are a problem way up north in the Tropics, signs at each beach..

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