Where do box jellyfish live?
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").
Irukandji jellyfish
The Irukandji jellyfish exists in the northern waters of Australia. The southern extent of the Irukandji's range on Australia's eastern coast has been gradually moving south, a shift attributed to climate change.
Snailfish
In October 2008, a UK-Japan team discovered a shoal of "Pseudoliparis amblystomopsis" snailfish at a depth of approximately in the Japan Trench. These were, at the time, the deepest living fish ever recorded on film. The record was surpassed by a snailfish that was filmed at a depth of in December 2014 in the Mariana Trench, and extended in May 2017 when another was filmed at a depth of in the Mariana Trench. The species in these deepest records remain undescribed, but it has been referred to as the "ethereal snailfish". The deepest-living described species is "Pseudoliparis swirei", also of the Mariana Trench, which has been recorded to . In general, snailfish (notably genera "Notoliparis" and "Pseudoliparis") are the most common and dominant fish family in the hadal zone. There are indications that the larvae of at least some hadal snailfish species spend time in open water at relatively shallow depths, less than .
Jolthead porgy
Known only from the western Atlantic Ocean, Jolthead porgies are found from Rhode Island and Bermuda south to Brazil. They are abundant in the northern Gulf of Mexico and the West Indies. They have been collected from beds of seagrass, and commonly swim in clear, shallow water up to 150 feet, (though there have been reports of them as deep as 180 and 200 m) where they are normally solitary, but sometimes appear in schools near reefs. They are thought to spawn in July and August.
Thimble jellyfish
The thimble jellyfish ("Linuche unguiculata") is a species of cnidarian found in the neotropical Atlantic Ocean. It is a tiny jellyfish with a straight-sided, flat-topped bell.
This jellyfish is the most common cause of seabather's eruption, a reaction caused by the injection of juvenile jellyfish nematocysts into human skin.
Jellyfish
Some jellyfish populations that have shown clear increases in the past few decades are invasive species, newly arrived from other habitats: examples include the Black Sea, Caspian Sea, Baltic Sea, central and eastern Mediterranean, Hawaii, and tropical and subtropical parts of the West Atlantic (including the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico and Brazil).
Pantyhose for men
Pantyhose are also an effective protection against box jellyfish stings. The pantyhose were formerly thought to work because of the length of the box jellyfish's stingers (nematocysts), but it is now known to be related to the way the stinger cells work. The stinging cells on a box jellyfish's tentacles are not triggered by touch, but are instead triggered by the chemicals found on skin.
Halicampus boothae
Booth’s pipefish ("Halicampus boothae") is a species of marine fish of the family Syngnathidae. It is found in the Western Indian Ocean, in South Africa and the Comoro Islands, and in the Western Pacific, from South Korea and Japan to the Great Barrier Reef and Tonga. It lives in rocks and coral reefs to depths of , where it can grow to lengths of . This species is ovoviviparous, with males carrying eggs and giving birth to live young. The specific name honours for Julie Booth, who "presented many interesting fishes to the Australian Museum from New South Wales and Lord Howe Island".
Box jellyfish
The medusa form of a box jellyfish has a squarish, box-like bell, from which its name is derived. From each of the four lower corners of this hangs a short pedalium or stalk which bears one or more long, slender, hollow tentacles. The rim of the bell is folded inwards to form a shelf known as a velarium which restricts the bell's aperture and creates a powerful jet when the bell pulsates. As a result, box jellyfish can move more rapidly than other jellyfish; speeds of up to per minute have been recorded.
Box jellyfish
Box jellyfish (class Cubozoa) are cnidarian invertebrates distinguished by their cube-shaped medusae. Some species of box jellyfish produce extremely potent venom: "Chironex fleckeri", "Carukia barnesi" and "Malo kingi". Stings from these and a few other species in the class are extremely painful and can be fatal to humans.
Box jellyfish
Although the box jellyfish has been called "the world's most venomous creature", only a few species in the class have been confirmed to be involved in human deaths, and some species pose no serious threat at all.
Jellyfish
Jellyfish are eaten by humans in certain cultures, being considered a delicacy in some Asian countries, where species in the Rhizostomae order are pressed and salted to remove excess water. They are also used in research, where the green fluorescent protein, used by some species to cause bioluminescence, has been adapted as a fluorescent marker for genes inserted into other cells or organisms. The stinging cells used by jellyfish to subdue their prey can also injure humans. Many thousands of swimmers are stung every year, with effects ranging from mild discomfort to serious injury or even death; small box jellyfish are responsible for many of these deaths. When conditions are favourable, jellyfish can form vast swarms. These can be responsible for damage to fishing gear by filling fishing nets, and sometimes clog the cooling systems of power and desalination plants which draw their water from the sea.
Apolemia uvaria
String jellyfish are colonial animals that may reach 3 m in total length and have a diameter of 2–5 cm. The colony is formed of a central string, bearing groups of pink and white tentacles, which clump together or extend. The whole colony has a gas float at the front and a set of swimming bells. This colonial animal is pelagic and is found in oceans worldwide in midwater. These ocean predators act like drift nets, spreading their tentacles to catch plankton. The tentacles give a painful sting and are best avoided.
Crossota millsae
"Crossota millsae" was first described from the Pacific Ocean off Hawaii and California. It was subsequently found in the Arctic Ocean and in Guayanilla Canyon off Puerto Rico. NOAA researchers who filmed this species in 2018 near Puerto Rico called it a "psychedelic" jellyfish. It lives below 1 km depth in all four regions. Its highest abundance is found at 2500 m off California and 1250 m off Hawaii. In the Arctic Ocean, it has been observed sitting on the seafloor.
Box jellyfish
The box jellyfish's nervous system is more developed than that of many other jellyfish. They possess a nerve ring around the base of the bell that coordinates their pulsing movements, a feature found elsewhere only in the crown jellyfish. Whereas some other jellyfish have simple pigment-cup ocelli, box jellyfish are unique in the possession of true eyes, complete with retinas, corneas and lenses. Their eyes are set in clusters called rhopalia, located in pockets halfway up the outer, flat surfaces of the bell. Each contains two rhopalial ocelli with lenses, one directed upwards and the other downwards and inwards towards the manubrium. This enables the animal to see specific points of light, as opposed to simply distinguishing between light and dark. Box jellyfish also have twenty ocelli (simple eyes) that do not form images, but detect light and dark; they therefore have a total of twenty-four eyes. Near the rhopalia are statoliths which detect gravitational pull and help the animal to orient itself.
Sea Life Minnesota Aquarium
Jellyfish Discovery features different kinds of jellyfish including pacific sea nettles, lagoon jellyfish, spotted jellyfish, blue blubber jellyfish, moon jellyfish, and cone jellyfish. This exhibit highlights interesting facts about jellyfish and includes trivia.
Crown jellyfish
Crown jellyfishes are the six families of true jellyfish that belong to the order Coronatae. They are distinguished from other jellyfish by the presence of a deep groove running around the umbrella, giving them the crown shape from which they take their name. Many of the species in the order inhabit deep sea environments.
Ornate box turtle
The home range of the ornate box turtle covers a large area of the Midwest, from Wisconsin to the Gulf of Mexico and from Louisiana to Colorado. It was first discovered in Nebraska in 1795, where "vast numbers" were found. The turtle is usually found in grasslands and on land rather than in water; they have been found in all habitat types of the Great Plains except aquatic, though most references indicate they prefer open grass or prairie lands. Several studies indicate that the ornate box turtle needs three specific types of microhabitats in order to survive:
Water is important for this turtle to regulate body temperature in hot weather and to replace body water after hibernation, but they do not spend large amounts of time in flowing or standing water.
Box jellyfish
In Australia, "C. fleckeri" has caused at least 64 deaths since the first report in 1883, but even in this species most encounters appear to result only in mild envenoming. Most recent deaths in Australia have been in children, which is linked to their smaller body mass. In parts of the Malay Archipelago, the number of lethal cases is far higher (in the Philippines alone, an estimated 20-40 die annually from Chirodropid stings), probably owing to limited access to medical facilities and antivenom, and the fact that many Australian beaches are enclosed in nets and have vinegar placed in prominent positions allowing for rapid first aid. Vinegar is also used as treatment by locals in the Philippines.
The recently discovered and very similar "Chironex yamaguchii" may be equally dangerous, as it has been implicated in several deaths in Japan. It is unclear which of these species is the one usually involved in fatalities in the Malay Archipelago. In 1990, a 4-year-old child died after being stung by "Chiropsalmus quadrumanus" at Galveston Island in the Gulf of Mexico, and either this species or "Chiropsoides buitendijki" are considered the likely perpetrators of two deaths in West Malaysia. Warning signs and first aid stations have been erected in Thailand following the death of a 5-year-old French boy in August 2014. A woman died in July 2015 after being stung off Ko Pha Ngan, and another at Lamai Beach at Ko Samui on 6 October 2015. At least two deaths in Australia have been attributed to the thumbnail-sized Irukandji jellyfish. Those who fall victim to these may suffer severe physical and psychological symptoms, known as Irukandji syndrome. Nevertheless, most victims do survive, and out of 62 people treated for Irukandji envenomation in Australia in 1996, almost half could be discharged home with few or no symptoms after 6 hours, and only two remained hospitalized approximately a day after they were stung.
Rhopilema esculentum
Rhopilema esculentum, the flame jellyfish, is a species of jellyfish native to the warm temperate waters of the Pacific Ocean. It is a popular seafood in southeastern Asia. In the 1980s, research was undertaken in China into its aquaculture, and it is now bred in ponds in that country before being released into the sea to grow to a mature size suitable for the fishery.
Monterey Bay Aquarium
At least three exhibitions have been devoted entirely to displaying jellyfish. In 1989, the aquarium's second temporary exhibition, titled "Living Treasures of the Pacific", included three jellyfish tanks following the successful display of one tank of moon jellies four years earlier in 1985. In 1992, the first temporary exhibition for jellyfish opened, called "Planet of the Jellies", the success of which prompted a permanent jellyfish gallery within the Open Sea wing in 1996. Within 20 years of opening Planet of the Jellies, the aquarium created two more temporary exhibitions centered on jellyfish. The final one of the three exhibitions opened in 2012, and displayed around 16 species of jellyfish from around the world in "a psychedelic theme from the 1960s". Staff members attribute the organization’s fascination with jellyfish to their visual appeal, primitive biology, and reputed calming effect on visitors.
Aglantha digitale
"Aglantha digitale" is the most common species of jellyfish found in surface waters in the Arctic and sub-Arctic. It occurs above the continental slope but is more common over the deep ocean, seldom occurring at a depth greater than .
Lion's mane jellyfish
The lion's mane jellyfish, also known as the giant jellyfish or the hair jelly, is the largest known species of jellyfish. Its range is confined to cold, boreal waters of the Arctic, northern Atlantic, and northern Pacific Oceans. It is common in the English Channel, Irish Sea, North Sea, and in western Scandinavian waters south to Kattegat and Øresund. It may also drift into the southwestern part of the Baltic Sea (where it cannot breed due to the low salinity). Similar jellyfish – which may be the same species – are known to inhabit seas near Australia and New Zealand. The largest recorded specimen, found washed up on the shore of Massachusetts Bay in 1870, had a bell with a diameter of and tentacles long. Lion's mane jellyfish have been observed below 42°N latitude for some time in the larger bays of the east coast of the United States.
Yellow boxfish
They are solitary animals. Breeding occurs during the spring, in small groups that consist of 1 male and 2 - 4 females.
Cotylorhiza
Cotylorhiza is a genus of true jellyfish from the family Cepheidae. The genus is found in the central-east Atlantic, Mediterranean, and western Indian Ocean.
Spotted jelly
The spotted jelly ("Mastigias papua"), lagoon jelly, golden medusa, or Papuan jellyfish, is a species of jellyfish from the Indo-Pacific oceans. Like corals, sea anemones, and other sea jellies, it belongs to the phylum Cnidaria. "Mastigias papua" is one of the numerous marine animals living in symbiosis with zooxanthellae, a photosynthetic alga.
Oryzias javanicus
Oryzias javanicus, the Javanese ricefish, is a small species of fish in the Adrianichthyidae family. It lives in Peninsular Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia (Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi, Bali and Lombok), where it can be seen in both brackish and fresh water in ponds, ditches, mangrove, swamps, streams and canals.
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.
Carybdea
Carybdea is the only genus of venomous box jellyfish in the family Carybdeidae. "Carybdea sivickisi" is known as the smallest species in the genus and is sexually dimorphic.As of August 2013, the following genera previously classified in this family have been reassigned to the family Carukiidae:
Linuche aquila
Linuche aquila is a species of cnidarian found in the tropical and subtropical Pacific Ocean. It is very small and is commonly known as a thimble jellyfish because of its size and shape. The larvae can cause bathers to develop an itchy red rash commonly known as Seabather's eruption.
Eupilema inexpectata
This jellyfish is found around the whole South African coast from the surface to at least 35m underwater.
Jellyfish
The name jellyfish, in use since 1796, has traditionally been applied to medusae and all similar animals including the comb jellies (ctenophores, another phylum). The term "jellies" or "sea jellies" is more recent, having been introduced by public aquaria in an effort to avoid use of the word "fish" with its connotations of an animal with a backbone, though shellfish, cuttlefish and starfish are not vertebrates either. In scientific literature, "jelly" and "jellyfish" have been used interchangeably. Many sources refer to only scyphozoans as "true jellyfish".
Carybdea branchi
This jellyfish is found from the north of Namibia and around the South African coast to Port Elizabeth from the surface to a depth of at least underwater.
Cannonball jellyfish
Along the coast of the southern U.S. state of Georgia, jellyfish are a valuable export, which end up on dining tables across Asia. The jellyfish are dried, preserved and packaged before being sold to a seafood distributor that ships them to Japan, China, and Thailand.
Helmet jellyfish
The helmet jellyfish ("Periphylla periphylla") is a luminescent, red-colored jellyfish of the deep sea, belonging to the order Coronatae of the phylum Cnidaria. It is the only species in the monotypic genus "Periphylla."
Butterfly kingfish
The butterfly kingfish ("Gasterochisma melampus") is an ocean-dwelling ray-finned bony fish in the mackerel family, Scombridae – a family which it shares with the tunas, mackerels, Spanish mackerels, and bonitos. Unlike the 50 species from those four tribes, however, this species is unique in that it is the only scombrid to be classified apart from the rest, into the subfamily Gasterochismatinae and genus "Gasterochisma".
Fitzroy Island National Park
It is unlikely that box jellyfish would be encountered at Fitzroy Island due to the 4 km passage between the island and the mainland, but they have been found there occasionally, as well as other stinging jellyfish.
Warm core ring
Many fish species’ life cycle involves two distinct habitats. The adults live in warmer temperate waters south of Cape Hatteras, NC while the juveniles are found in estuaries of cooler waters north of Cape Hatteras. Warm Core Rings play an important role in the transport of larvae between the two habitats. Species like the bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix) and pearly razorfish (Xyrichtys novacula) spawn near the western edge of the Gulf Stream just south of Cape Hatteras. Because of the convergence of the Gulf Stream from the south and cooler coastal water current from the north, most water around Cape Hatteras flows into the Gulf Stream. The larvae released near this convergence is swept into the Gulf Stream and flows north. Since the larvae are planktonic, they don’t swim into the center of the Gulf Stream but stay near the western edge. This is beneficial for when warm core rings form. Warm core rings are formed when the crest of a meander breaks off from the Gulf Stream. Any larvae in the crest of the meanders are then entrapped in the warm core ring. Once the warm core ring breaks way, it takes a southwesternly path towards the coast. The interaction between warm core rings and the continental shelf creates a weakening of the ring and enables the larvae to escape and continue their journey to nearby estuaries. The warm core rings formed along the northeastern states can last between 4 and 5 months. During this time the larvae grow so that by the time they reach the estuaries, they are able to swim away from the warm core ring into the estuaries.
Cannonball jellyfish
Recently, Mexican coasts have experienced an increase in the abundance and frequency in blooms of this jellyfish. In 2012 El Golfo de Santa Clara harvested 20,000 tons (~$3.5 million USD) from late April to early July, which elevated the importance of this resource in the region. However, further studies need to be done in order to increase the predictability and improve the management strategies."This article incorporates public domain text from the Voice of America", at http://www.voanews.com/english/news/usa/US-Jellyfish-Land-on-Asian-Dinner-Tables-143681576.html
Cable Beach
Box jellyfish, also known as stingers, may be present between November and April and caution is required when swimming there during this period. Warning signs are posted on the beach and stingers may be present outside the normal wet season months.
Jellyfish as food
In China, some species of jellyfish in the Rhizostomae order caught in coastal areas have been utilized as a source of food and ingredient in Chinese cuisine for over 1,700 years. Cannonball jellyfish ("Stomolophus meleagris") and jelly blubber ("Catostylus mosaicus") are edible species of jellyfish. When live, the cannonball jellyfish contains toxins that can cause cardiac problems in animals (including humans). "Rhopilema esculentum" and "Rhopilema hispidium" are edible jellyfish, and are the most common ones consumed in China, Japan and Korea. Additional edible jellyfish species include "Aurelia aurita", "C. orsini", "Dactylometra pacifica", "Hispidium spp.", "Lobonema smithi", "Lobonemoides gracilis" and Nomura's jellyfish ("Stomolophus nomuria"). Desalted ready-to-use jellyfish are low in calories and contain hardly any fat, about 5% protein and 95% water. They do not have much flavor, and may be used to add additional texture and mouthfeel to various dishes. In some areas of Asia, jellyfish is "associated with easing bone and muscle pain."
Tripedalia cystophora
Tripedalia cystophora is a small species of box jellyfish in the family Tripedaliidae. It is native to the Caribbean Sea and the Central Indo-Pacific.
Bathykorus
"B. bouilloni" is found in the Arctic Ocean, especially around Greenland and the north of Canada. The jellyfish can only be found at an underwater depth range of , but it is more common in the middle of this range.
Gerongia
Gerongia is a genus of box jellyfish in the Carukiidae family.
Morbakka virulenta
Morbakka virulenta is a species of box jellyfish that is found in waters near the islands of Japan. The species was originally described in the genus "Tamoya" by Kamakichi Kishinouye in 1910. However, unlike other species of that genus, this jellyfish did not have the vertical gastric phacellae which protect the inside of the bell with nematocyst warts. As a result, it was reclassified to the genus "Morbakka" due to its distinctively shaped rhopaliar horns which resemble rabbit ears. Because of its painful stings, "M. virulenta" has been nicknamed "Hikurage", which is “fire jellyfish” in Japanese.
Jellyfish Lake
The golden jellyfish are most closely related to the spotted jellyfish ("Mastigias papua") that inhabit the nearby lagoons. They are similar to the spotted jellyfish in that they derive part of their nutrition from symbiotic algae (Zooxanthellae) that live in their tissues and part of their nutrition from captured zooplankton.
Box jellyfish
The venom of cubozoans is distinct from that of scyphozoans, and is used to catch prey (small fish and invertebrates, including prawns and bait fish) and for defence from predators, which include the butterfish, batfish, rabbitfish, crabs (blue swimmer crab) and various species of turtle including the hawksbill sea turtle and flatback sea turtle. It seems that sea turtles are unaffected by the stings because they seem to relish box jellyfish.
Ada Ciganlija
These anthomedusae begin their life as polyps and develop into jellyfish only if conditions, such as purity and water temperature over 25 °C, are right. However, authorities claim that these harmless and almost invisible jellyfish (they are only to wide, bell is in diameter and have no sting cells) actually have been present in the lake for over 20 years. The first specimens were discovered in 1994 and they can also be found in the Danube. They live only for several days.
Carybdea marsupialis
"Carybdea marsupialis" was once considered a widespread species found in warm oceans around the world. Taxonomic reviews have shown that most of these are other species in the genus "Carybdea", with the true "C. marsupialis" essentially restricted to the Mediterranean Sea. It is the only box jellyfish in this sea. It is pelagic and is present in the upper few metres of the sea.
Haliclystus antarcticus
Haliclystus antarcticus is a stalked jellyfish which lives on rocky shore lines in the Southern hemisphere.
Aracanidae
The Aracanidae are a family of bony fishes related to the boxfishes. They are somewhat more primitive than the true boxfishes, but have a similar protective covering of thickened scale plates. They are found in the Indian Ocean and the west Pacific. Unlike the true boxfishes, they also inhabit deep waters, of over in depth.
List of SpongeBob SquarePants characters
The Jellyfish (vocal effects by Tom Kenny) are wild animals who reside in Jellyfish Fields, a meadow in Bikini Bottom, and have a strong affinity for music. Within the series, jellyfish behave like sentient insects, squirt jelly, buzz and swarm like bees, and can sting their enemies with electric shocks that leave painful welts.
Jellyfish
Little is known of the life histories of many jellyfish as the places on the seabed where the benthic forms of those species live have not been found. However, an asexually reproducing strobila form can sometimes live for several years, producing new medusae (ephyra larvae) each year.
Jelly blubber
The jelly blubber ("Catostylus mosaicus"), also known as the blue blubber jellyfish, is a species of jellyfish from coastal regions in the Indo-Pacific. It is the most commonly encountered jellyfish along the Australian eastern coast and large swarms sometimes appear in estuarine waters.
Box jellyfish
In Australia, fatalities are most often caused by the largest species of this class of jellyfish, "Chironex fleckeri". Researchers at the University of Hawaii's Department of Tropical Medicine found the venom causes cells to become porous enough to allow potassium leakage, causing hyperkalemia, which can lead to cardiovascular collapse and death as quickly as within 2 to 5 minutes. It was postulated that a zinc compound may be developed as an antidote.
Jellyfish
Jellyfish are found all over the world, from surface waters to the deep sea. Scyphozoans (the "true jellyfish") are exclusively marine, but some hydrozoans with a similar appearance live in freshwater. Large, often colorful, jellyfish are common in coastal zones worldwide. The medusae of most species are fast growing, mature within a few months and die soon after breeding, but the polyp stage, attached to the seabed, may be much more long-lived. Jellyfish have been in existence for at least 500 million years, and possibly 700 million years or more, making them the oldest multi-organ animal group.
Jellyfish Lake
Two species of scyphozoan jellyfish live in Jellyfish Lake, moon jellyfish ("Aurelia" sp.) and the golden jellyfish ("Mastigias" sp.).
Manokia
Manokia is a genus of box jellyfish in the Alatinidae family.
Box turtle
Box turtles are native to North America. The widest distributed species is the common box turtle which is found in the United States (subspecies "carolina", "major", "bauri", "triunguis"; south-central, eastern, and southeastern parts) and Mexico (subspecies "yukatana" and "mexicana"; Yucatán peninsula and northeastern parts). The ornate box turtle is endemic to the south-central and southwestern parts of the U.S. (and adjacent Mexico) while the spotted box turtle is endemic to northwestern Mexico only. The Coahuilan box turtle is only found in Cuatro Ciénegas Basin (Coahuila, Mexico).
Marine pollution
Ballast water taken up at sea and released in port is a major source of unwanted exotic marine life. The invasive freshwater zebra mussels, native to the Black, Caspian, and Azov seas, were probably transported to the Great Lakes via ballast water from a transoceanic vessel. Meinesz believes that one of the worst cases of a single invasive species causing harm to an ecosystem can be attributed to a seemingly harmless jellyfish. "Mnemiopsis leidyi", a species of comb jellyfish that spread so it now inhabits estuaries in many parts of the world. It was first introduced in 1982, and thought to have been transported to the Black Sea in a ship's ballast water. The population of the jellyfish grew exponentially and, by 1988, it was wreaking havoc upon the local fishing industry. "The anchovy catch fell from 204,000 tons in 1984 to 200 tons in 1993; sprat from 24,600 tons in 1984 to 12,000 tons in 1993; horse mackerel from 4,000 tons in 1984 to zero in 1993." Now that the jellyfish have exhausted the zooplankton, including fish larvae, their numbers have fallen dramatically, yet they continue to maintain a stranglehold on the ecosystem.
Pebbled butterflyfish
Pebbled butterflyfish ("Chaetodon multicinctus") are marine, perciform fish often found near reefs. They are at most in length, and white with yellow, brown, and black markings. These butterflyfish are territorial and form pairs. The pebbled butterflyfish occur near reefs in the eastern central Pacific, and are endemic to waters off the Hawaiian Islands and Johnston Atoll. They have a role in aquarium trade.
Lisa-ann Gershwin
Lisa-ann Gershwin is a biologist based in Launceston, Tasmania, who has described over 200 species of jellyfish, and written and co-authored several non-fiction books about Cnidaria (jellyfish and allies) including "Stung!" (2013) and "Jellyfish - A Natural History" (2016).
Lighthouse lizardfish
The lighthouse lizardfish is known to live in a marine environment within a depth range of about 2–100 meters. They are native to reef-associated locations within a tropical climate. The average length of the Synodus jaculum as an unsexed male is about 10 centimeters or 3.9 inches. The maximum recorded length of the Synodus jaculum as an unsexed male is about 20 centimeters or 7.87 inches. This species is identified by its brown colored body with the dark brown splotches. This species also has transparent fins. The lighthouse lizardfish is native to the areas of Indo-Pacific, East Africa, Marquesan, Society islands, north to the Izu Islands in Japan, south to New South Wales in Australia, Palau, and Kosrae in Micronesia. This species occupies coral reefs and it is found on sand or rubble near coral heads. This species of fish is caught and sold as fresh and salted in markets. It is also common to find this species isolated, in pairs, or in small groups.
Irukandji jellyfish
Irukandji jellyfish ( ) are any of several similar, extremely venomous species of box jellyfish. With an adult size of roughly a cubic centimetre (1 cm), they are both the smallest and one of the most venomous jellyfish in the world. They inhabit the northern marine waters of Australia. They are able to fire their stingers into their victim, causing symptoms collectively known as Irukandji syndrome. There are about 16 known species of Irukandji, of which "Carukia barnesi", "Malo kingi", "Malo maxima", "Malo filipina" and "Malo bella" are the best-known.
Phyllorhiza punctata
Phyllorhiza punctata is a species of jellyfish, also known as the floating bell, Australian spotted jellyfish or the white-spotted jellyfish. It is native to the western Pacific from Australia to Japan, but has been introduced widely elsewhere. It feeds primarily on zooplankton. "P. punctata" generally can reach up to in bell diameter, but in October 2007, one wide, perhaps the largest ever recorded, was found on Sunset Beach, North Carolina.
Desert box turtle
The desert box turtle is endemic to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It lives in desert grasslands/shrublands and may face a drier, more severe environment compared with other box turtles in North America. They prefer arid, open prairie areas but have also been found in grassland regions where there is an abundance of yucca around. They prefer small defined areas where they can be well aware of their surroundings and the locations of their food, shelter and overwintering sites.
Box sea catfish
The Box sea catfish (Cathorops multiradiatus) is a species of catfish in the family Ariidae. It was described by Albert Günther in 1864. It is a tropical, marine catfish which occurs in Guatemala, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Mexico, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Panama. It dwells at a maximum depth of . It reaches a .
Copula sivickisi
Copula is a monotypic genus of box jellyfish in the family Tripedaliidae of the phylum Cnidaria. The only species in the genus is Copula sivickisi, a very small gelatinous, bell-shaped organism with four tentacles that is active only at night. It is unusual among box jellyfish in having a mating ritual and internal fertilisation. The specific name honours the Lithuanian zoologist Pranciškus Baltrus Šivickis.
Cassiopea xamachana
Cassiopea xamachana, commonly known as the upside-down jellyfish, is a species of jellyfish in the family Cassiopeidae. It is found in warm parts of the western Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. It was first described by the American marine biologist Henry Bryant Bigelow in 1892.
Olindias phosphorica
Olindias phosphorica, or cigar jellyfish, is a species of hydrozoan from the central and eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea.
Poralia
Poralia is a genus of jellyfish in the family Ulmaridae. It is a monotypic genus containing a single species, Poralia rufescens. This jellyfish is pelagic, and is found in deep water in most of the world's oceans.
Box jellyfish
A fully grown box jellyfish can measure up to along each box side (or in diameter), and the tentacles can grow up to in length. Its weight can reach . There are about 15 tentacles on each corner. Each tentacle has about 500,000 cnidocytes, containing nematocysts, a harpoon-shaped microscopic mechanism that injects venom into the victim. Many different kinds of nematocysts are found in cubozoans.
Phacellophora camtschatica
This cool-water species can be found in many parts of the world's oceans. It feeds mostly on smaller jellyfish and other gelatinous zooplankton, which become ensnared in the tentacles. Because the sting of this jellyfish is so weak, many small crustaceans, including larval crabs ("Cancer gracilis") and Amphipoda, regularly ride on its bell and even steal food from its oral arms and tentacles. The lifecycle of this jellyfish is well known, because it is kept in culture at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. It alternates between a benthic stage attached to rocks and piers that reproduces asexually and the planktonic stage that reproduces sexually in the water column; both males and females occur in the plankton.
Medusozoa
Cubozoa is a group commonly known as box jellyfish, that occur in tropical and warm temperate seas. They have cube-shaped, transparent medusae and are heavily-armed with venomous nematocysts. Cubozoans have planula larvae, which settle and develop into sessile polyps, which subsequently metamorphose into sexual medusae, the oral end of each polyp changing into a medusa which separates and swims away.
Carukia
Carukia is a genus of box jellyfish in the Carukiidae family.
Jellyfish
Jellyfish or sea jellies are the informal common names given to the medusa-phase of certain gelatinous members of the subphylum Medusozoa, a major part of the phylum Cnidaria. Jellyfish are mainly free-swimming marine animals with umbrella-shaped bells and trailing tentacles, although a few are not mobile, being anchored to the seabed by stalks. The bell can pulsate to provide propulsion and highly efficient locomotion. The tentacles are armed with stinging cells and may be used to capture prey and defend against predators. Jellyfish have a complex life cycle; the medusa is normally the sexual phase, the planula larva can disperse widely and is followed by a sedentary polyp phase.
Atolla jellyfish
Atolla wyvillei, also known as the Atolla jellyfish or Coronate medusa, is a species of deep-sea crown jellyfish (Scyphozoa: Coronatae). It lives in oceans around the world. Like many species of mid-water animals, it is deep red in color. This species was named in honor of Sir Charles Wyville Thomson, chief scientist on the Challenger expedition.
Jellyfish as food
In 2001, the annual global harvest of edible jellyfish was estimated to be around 321,000 metric tons. The most prominent countries involved in edible jellyfish production are Burma, China, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand. In China, jellyfish larvae are reared in ponds before being released as juveniles into the sea to grow and mature. In Southeast Asia, edible species of jellyfish may be harvested using various nets such as drift nets, scoop nets, set nets and hand nets, hooks and beach seines. In 2001, the estimated annual catch in Southeast Asia in net weight was at around 169,000 metric tons. The amount of jellyfish caught annually in this region can vary significantly, and the fishing season for them is relatively short, at two to four months.
Box jellyfish
At least 51 species of box jellyfish were known as of 2018. These are grouped into two orders and eight families. A few new species have since been described, and it is likely that additional undescribed species remain.
Chrysaora achlyos
The black sea nettle (Chrysaora achlyos), sometimes informally known as the black jellyfish or sarlacc jellyfish, is a species of jellyfish that can be found in the waters of the Pacific Ocean. Its range is thought to be from Monterey Bay in the north, down to southern Baja California and Mexico, though there are reports of sightings as far north as British Columbia.
Malo (jellyfish)
Malo is a genus of box jellies. It contains four species, three of which were described by the Australian marine biologist Lisa-Ann Gershwin.
Morbakka virulenta
In common with other jellyfish in the class Cuboza, "Morbakka virulenta" has a box-like shape. It has rabbit like rhopaliar horns and closely resembles its close relative from Australia, "Morbakka fenneri". "M. virulenta" is one of the largest species of box jellyfish, with tentacle lengths of about three metres at maximum extension. The maximum bell height observed in "M. virulenta" can range up to 250 mm and the bell width can range up to 200 mm. The bell of "M. virulenta" is rectangle-shaped and covered with nematocyst warts. "Morbakka virulenta" can be distinguished from other species in the family by its heavily branched velarial canals as well as two rows of perradial warts with additional scattered warts.
Carybdea branchi
This small box jellyfish grows up to across and may have tentacles of up to in total length. It has a transparent box-shaped bell with a very long tentacle trailing from each corner.
Cotylorhiza tuberculata
Cotylorhiza tuberculata is a species of jellyfish, of the phylum Cnidaria, also known as the Mediterranean jelly or fried egg jellyfish. It is commonly found in the Mediterranean Sea, Aegean Sea, and Adriatic Sea. It can reach 40 cm in diameter and is usually less than 17 cm wide. It seems that this jellyfish's sting has very little or no effect on humans. The cnidarian’s smooth, elevated central dome is surrounded by a gutter-like ring. Its marginal lappets are elongated and subrectangular. Each moutharm bifurcates near its base and branches several times. In addition to some larger appendages, there are many short, club-shaped ones that bear disk-like ends.
"C. tuberculata" are the most common jellyfish of their entire order in the Mediterranean Sea. They experience an annual life cycle marked by summer population blooms, which is likely an adaptive result of the strong seasonal changes in their Mediterranean environment. Their phases of development are quite similar to that of their other jellyfish counterparts. "C. tuberculata"s four main stages of growth include the swimming larvae known as planulae, younger, sessile polyps called scyphistomae, the undeveloped young adult intermediates known as ephyrae, and the adult jellyfish forms, called medusas. In a given year, planulae are present from August to November, scyphistomae are present perennially, ephyrae can be seen from May to August, and medusa are prominent from July to November.
Chirodropus
Chirodropus is a genus of box jellyfish in the family Chirodropidae.
Kimberella
All the "Kimberella" fossils found so far are assigned to one species, "K. quadrata". The first specimens were discovered in Australia in 1959. They were originally classified as jellyfish by Martin Glaessner and Mary Wade in 1966, and then as box jellyfish by Wade in 1972, a view that remained popular until the fossils of the White sea region were discovered; these prompted a reinterpretation. Research on these specimens by Mikhail A. Fedonkin, initially with Benjamin M. Waggoner in 1997, led to "Kimberella" being recognised as the oldest well-documented triploblastic bilaterian organism — not a jellyfish at all.
Chrysaora hysoscella
The compass jellyfish (Chrysaora hysoscella) is a very common species of jellyfish that lives in coastal waters of the Atlantic and Mediterranean, including near the United Kingdom, Ireland and Turkey. It is also known from the southern Atlantic Ocean from the west coast of South Africa and False Bay It has a diameter of up to 30 cm. Its 24 tentacles are arranged in eight groups of three. It is usually colored yellowish white, with some brown. It usually has 16 markings on the bell resembling elongated v's, surrounding a central brown spot. Its mouth is located at the bottom center of the bell, between 4 larger tentacles. They are known to sting.
Blackstripe corydoras
The blackstripe corydoras or Bond's catfish ("Corydoras bondi") is a tropical freshwater fish belonging to the Corydoradinae sub-family of the family Callichthyidae. It originates in inland waters in South America, and is found in the Yuruarí River in Venezuela and the Corantijn and Rupununi River basins in Guyana and Suriname. In the system of "C-Numbers" developed by the German fishkeeping magazine DATZ to identify undescribed species of "Corydoras" in the aquarium hobby, this fish had been assigned number "C31" until it was correctly identified.
Chironex
Chironex is a genus of box jellyfish in the family Chirodropidae. Their stings are highly venomous, and have caused human fatalities. Based on present knowledge, the genus is restricted to the central Indo-Pacific, ranging from to southern Japan to northern Australia.
Cannonball jellyfish
The cannonball jellyfish ("Stomolophus meleagris"), also known as the cabbagehead jellyfish, is a species of jellyfish in the family Stomolophidae. Its common name derives from its similarity to a cannonball in shape and size. Its dome-shaped bell can reach in diameter and the rim is sometimes colored with brown pigment. Underneath the body is a cluster of oral arms that extend out around the mouth. These arms function in propulsion and as an aid in catching prey. Cannonballs are prominent from North America's eastern seaboard all the way to Brazil, but are also found in parts of the Pacific.
Rhopilema nomadica
Rhopilema nomadica, the nomad jellyfish, is a jellyfish indigenous to tropical warm waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Since 1970's it has been also found in Mediterranean Sea, where it entered via the Suez Canal. It has been found in the Eastern Mediterranean, off the coast of Israel, Turkey and in the Aegean Sea off the coast of Greece. "R. nomadica"'s body is light blue and the bell is rounded. It can grow up to 10 kg of weight, and its bell is commonly 40–60 cm in diameter, but can be up to 90 cm. European Union lists it as one of the worst invasive marine species in European waters.
Chironex yamaguchii
Chironex yamaguchii, commonly known as habu-kurage in Japanese, is a species of box jellyfish found in coastal waters around Japan, on Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands, and in the Philippines. It is highly venomous.
Wang Thong River
Kaeng Bang Rachan at the source of the Wang Thong is a natural habitat for the freshwater jellyfish ("Craspedacusta sowerbii") which is presently found in only the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, Japan and Thailand.
Also, it is a natural habitat for rare species of butterflies such as kaiser, "Troides helena" and "Euploea".
Jellyfish stings in Australia
Too numerous to list. Virtually every person living on the coast in North Queensland knows of someone who has borne the scars and debilitating pain from Box Jellyfish stings. These scars often remain for the rest of the victims life.
Thimble jellyfish
The thimble jellyfish swims constantly by pulsating its bell, rotating as it moves. It forms swarms in warm seas near the surface of the water. Aggregations have been reported covering a million square metres . The jellyfish feeds on plankton, drawing a water current past its outstretched tentacles by pulsating the bell. When edible zooplankton are encountered, they are immobilised by the cnidocytes (stinging cells) and passed by the tentacles to the mouth on the underside of the bell. Thimble jellyfish are consumed by fish, sea turtles and other predators.
Dead zone (ecology)
Despite most other life forms being killed by the lack of oxygen, jellyfish can thrive and are sometimes present in dead zones in vast numbers. These jellyfish blooms produce mucus and waste, leading to major changes in food webs in the ocean. The organic carbon is metabolised by bacteria which return it to the atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide in what has been termed a "jelly carbon shunt".
Quillback rockfish
Quillback rockfish live along the Pacific coast from the Gulf of Alaska to the northern Channel Islands of Southern California. Like other rockfish species, quillbacks live on the bottom, perching on rocks or hiding in rock crevices. The juveniles stay mainly along the shore, in reefs, sand and eelgrass, while the adult rockfish live in the deeper waters. They are for the most part solitary dwellers, rarely being found in groups. They are rarely found in the open ocean, generally preferring to stay close to kelp, rocks, coral, or lodged in crevices or holes. Despite this, they are not territorial. High densities tend to coincide with peak plant growth. They occupy a variety of habitats in many different areas on the west coast of North America.
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Aquarists also propagate animals behind-the-scenes for the public exhibits. Since 1985, the aquarium has been deeply involved in jellyfish propagation, creating three temporary exhibitions and one permanent gallery (within the Open Sea wing). The organization's jellyfish collections have been the largest in the world, and its pioneering work with the animals resulted in a trend of jellyfish exhibitions in the United States. In August 2016, aquarists cultured comb jellies for the first time in a laboratory, which may allow them to become a model organism. Beginning in 2012, the aquarium began to breed many species of cephalopods in preparation for a temporary exhibition that opened in 2014. For the duration of the exhibition, half of the animals were cultured because of their short life cycles. A display in the exhibition showcased how aquarists rear different species of cephalopods, including bigfin reef squid, which live for only about six months. In partnership with Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, at least two deep-sea cephalopod species were displayed in the exhibition, including flapjack octopuses and the vampire squid.
Hippichthys spicifer
Hippichthys spicifer, commonly known as bellybarred pipefish, banded freshwater pipefish, or blue spotted pipefish, is a species of pipefish of the family Syngnathidae. It is found in the Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea and East Africa to Sri Lanka and Samoa. It lives in shallow coastal and estuarine habitats such as mangroves, tidal creeks, and the lower reaches of rivers, where it can grow to lengths of . It is expected to feed on small crustaceans and mosquito larvae. This species is ovoviviparous, with males brooding eggs in a brood pouch before giving birth to live young. It is reproductively active all year, with males and females reaching sexual maturity at respectively. Brood size can vary significantly, from 114 to 1764, with an average of 604.4 plus or minus 322.8.
Box jellyfish
In the center of the underside of the bell is a mobile appendage called the manubrium which somewhat resembles an elephant's trunk. At its tip is the mouth. The interior of the bell is known as the gastrovascular cavity. It is divided by four equidistant septa into a central stomach and four gastric pockets. The eight gonads are located in pairs on either side of the four septa. The margins of the septa bear bundles of small gastric filaments which house nematocysts and digestive glands and help to subdue prey. Each septum is extended into a septal funnel that opens onto the oral surface and facilitates the flow of fluid into and out of the animal.
Melon butterflyfish
The Melon Butterflyfish is found in the Indian Ocean from East Africa to Western Java, at depths between 2 and 20 m, in coral-rich lagoons and semi-protected seaward reefs. Small juveniles are secretive and hide in corals.