Box jellyfish
Although the notoriously dangerous species of box jellyfish are largely restricted to the tropical Indo-Pacific region, various species of box jellyfish can be found widely in tropical and subtropical oceans, including the Atlantic Ocean and the east Pacific Ocean, with species as far north as California ("Carybdea confusa"), the Mediterranean Sea ("Carybdea marsupialis") and Japan (such as "Chironex yamaguchii"), and as far south as South Africa (for example, "Carybdea branchi") and New Zealand (such as "Copula sivickisi").
Chironex fleckeri
When the jellyfish are swimming, the tentacles contract so they are about 15 cm long and about 5 mm in diameter; when they are hunting, the tentacles are thinner and extend to about 3 m long. The tentacles are covered with a high concentration of stinging cells called cnidocytes, which are activated by pressure and a chemical trigger; they react to proteinous chemicals. Box jellyfish are day hunters; at night they are seen resting on the ocean floor.