Box jellyfish

Box jellyfish
Temporal range: Middle Cambrian–present
Chironex sp.
Carukia barnesi
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Cnidaria
Subphylum: Medusozoa
Class: Cubozoa
Werner, 1973[1]
Orders

Box jellyfish (class Cubozoa) are cnidarian invertebrates distinguished by their box-like (i.e. cube-shaped) body.[2] Some species of box jellyfish produce potent venom delivered by contact with their tentacles. Stings from some species, including Chironex fleckeri, Carukia barnesi, Malo kingi, and a few others, are extremely painful and often fatal to humans.[3]

  1. ^ Werner, B. (1973). "New investigations on systematics and evolution of the class Scyphozoa and the phylum Cnidaria" (PDF). Publications of the Seto Marine Biological Laboratory. 20: 35–61. doi:10.5134/175791.
  2. ^ "box jellyfish". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
  3. ^ "Box Jelly". Waikīkī Aquarium. 2013-11-20. Retrieved 2021-12-06.