Facts about Box Jellyfish

1. 08

   Statoliths, calcium carbonate structures in box jellyfish, function as gravity-sensing organs allowing them to orient their bodies vertically despite lacking a centralized nervous system.

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2. 07

   Chironex fleckeri box jellyfish have a bell diameter of only 25 centimeters but possess up to 60 tentacles arranged in four clusters around their body.

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3. 06

   Irukandji box jellyfish, measuring just one cubic centimeter, deliver venom potent enough to cause potentially fatal Irukandji syndrome in humans with symptoms appearing 20 to 40 minutes after contact.

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4. 05

   An Australian box jellyfish colony can contain millions of polyps living together in a single organism, reproducing asexually through budding throughout their lifecycle.

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5. 04

   Box jellyfish tentacles can extend up to 10 feet long and contain nematocysts that fire in less than one microsecond upon contact with prey.

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6. 03

   During Australia's summer months, swimming bans occur along Queensland coasts when box jellyfish arrive between November and April each year.

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7. 02

   Cubozoans possess 24 eyes organized into four clusters, with some eyes containing corneas and lenses similar to human eyes despite lacking a brain.

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8. 01

   The venom of Chironex fleckeri box jellyfish can kill an adult human in under five minutes.

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