Box Jellyfish Facts

• Common Names: Box jellyfish, sea wasps, marine stingers
• Scientific Name: Cubozoa
• Adaptations: Each of a box jelly's tentacles has about 500,000 cnidocytes containing nematocysts, or harpoon-shaped mechanisms that inject venom into the victim. Their venom is used for catching prey and defense from predators. Unlike other jellyfish, which can only drift, box jellyfish have the ability to move.
• Habitat: The venomous species of box jellyfish are primarily restricted to the tropical Indo-Pacific, but various species can also be found in the Atlantic and east Pacific.
• Endangered: No. Box jellyfish have few predators and are unlikely to go extinct any time soon.

I chose to research this animal because I have always been intrigued by the wispy quality and beauty of jellyfish. They remind me of mystical beings or aliens of the sea. Also, I knew that box jellyfish are more advanced than other jellyfish, so I was interested in learning more about what sets them apart from other species of jellyfish.