Sea Wasp [Chironex fleckeri]
Description
Chironex fleckeri, commonly known as the Sea Wasp, is a species of extremely venomous box jellyfish found in coastal waters from northern Australia and New Guinea to Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. It has been described as 'the most lethal jellyfish in the world', with at least 63 known deaths in Australia from 1884 to 1996. Notable features of C. fleckeri include its cube-shaped bell, and its four distinct clusters of tentacles, which can reach up to 3 meters in length.
Taxonomy
| Phylum |
Jellyfish, Sea Anemones, and Relatives
Cnidaria
|
|---|---|
| Class |
Box Jellyfish and Sea Wasps
Cubozoa
|
| Order |
Box jellyfishes
Carybdeida
|
| Family |
Chirodropidae
Chirodropidae
|
| Genus |
Sea wasps
Chironex
|