Jellyfish Can Kill

When the weather is rather hot the cool waters of the ocean can be very enticing. We run towards the water and immerse ourselves feeling instant relief but seldom do we think about the aquatic creatures we are swimming with in the water. There are many fish in the sea as the saying goes but the majority of these will do their very best to keep their distance from us in the water. One sea dweller that isn't intimidated by our presence is the jellyfish.

Jellyfish are somewhat clear or opaque in appearance and pack quite a punch in their venomous sting from their tentacles. In North Queensland, Australia, a species of box jellyfish known as Australia's sea wasp is capable of killing a person with its' sting. This jellyfish has the most potent venom of any marine creature. So much as a slight touch from a fully grown sea wasps' tentacle will cause heart failure followed closely by death in as little as ten minutes. This species of Box jellyfish is similar to the species which are responsible for Irukandji syndrome. Normal jellyfish lack the ability to swim relying solely on the current and the winds, all box jellyfish species can swim and have quite impressive swimming speeds at around 3 miles per hour.

There are several different box jellyfish species which are responsible for Irukandji syndrome with twelve to sixteen species in the world causing this death sentence. The waters of Australia have twelve of these species of box jellyfish. Another terrifying fact is that the majority of these deadly species are in fact very small at 3mm to 10mm in length with a clear or opaque appearance and 4 tentacles. Irukandji Syndrome first presents itself as a mild irritation at the sting site with no obvious marks; it then advances within a half hour to pain, nausea, cramping, intense back pain and headaches. These symptoms may then lead to death from heart failure and breathing difficulties. Once stung by a box jellyfish it is imperative that the victim seeks immediate medical attention in order to have the best chance for survival.

Learn more about Jellyfish Stings and Jellyfish Sting Safety

Learn more about Jellyfish, different Jellyfish Species, general Jellyfish Information, Jellyfish Pets and Jellyfish Safety

Written by Nathan Dickerson and Sudarsana Sinha.