The box jellyfish gets its name as they are bell shaped or cubed shaped with four sides being very prominent, thus the name box jellyfish. They can be as long as 20 cm on each side of the cube, and have up to 15 tentacles on each corner. These can be 3 meters in length and have 5,000 stinging cells on each of them. These tentacles are not actually triggered by any type of touch, Rather, a box jellyfish stings because it senses a presence of a type of chemical on the outside of their prey.

A box jellyfish is extremely mobile, using their bodies to propel themselves forward at speeds up to 4 knots. These types of jellyfish travel towards the shores in the calmer weather, and settle around the mouths of both creeks and rivers after the rain. It is assumed that after a good rain, food is washed down to the jellyfish, and they instinctively realize this.

The box jellyfish are also called sea wasps and marine stingers. Their primary habitat is in water off of Northern Australia and in the Indo-Pacific. A box jellyfish has venom that is so deadly, it considered to be one of the worst poisons in the world today. This venom is so powerful that the toxins set about attacking the heart and nervous system, as well as skin cells. Their venom was developed so that it would instantly paralyze or kill its prey, and also so that there was less of a struggle. This way, the box jellyfish would take care of its delicate tentacles. Box jellyfish eat small fish and crustaceans

If a human is stung by a box jellyfish, it is entirely possible for them to go into shock or even heart failure, drowning before receiving help. The sting is so deadly; help must be received immediately if one hopes to survive. The pain is said to be excruciating, and those who do survive experience a lot of pain for weeks to months after being stung. There is also generally scarring that can occur from the tentacles. The sting is proportionate to the size of the person; for example, a young child needs less of a sting to cause dire results than an adult.

Staying safe while diving is important. A full body dive suit is recommended so there is no direct skin contact. One must dive at their own risk!

~Ms. CiCi~ http://jellyfish-facts.info