Malo maxima | |
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Drawing of medusa | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Cnidaria |
Class: | Cubozoa |
Order: | Carybdeida |
Family: | Carukiidae |
Genus: | Malo |
Species: | M. maxima
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Binomial name | |
Malo maxima Gershwin, 2005
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Malo maxima is a small, and extremely dangerous Irukandji jellyfish that is known to cause Irukandji syndrome. It is one of the four species of Malo, along with Malo bella, Malo filipina, and Malo kingi. The Malo maxima was first described in 2005 by Lisa-ann Gershwin, who also described the Malo bella and Malo kingi jellyfish along with over 200 other species of jellyfish.[1] Malo maxima differs from other species of jellyfish in many ways but the most confusing one is that they swim more like fish than jellyfish, however the reason for this is still unknown.[2]