A close view of an Australian box jellyfish.

Close view of an Australian box jellyfish (*Chironex fleckeri*).

Creator: Emőke Dénes

Licence: CC BY-SA 2.5 Generic

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Species record

Australian Box Jellyfish

Chironex fleckeri

Explore the Australian Box Jellyfish (Chironex fleckeri) species record in The Ark Is Earth, including classification, habitat, distribution, conservation information, and sources.

Summary

The Australian Box Jellyfish is a highly venomous box jellyfish found in tropical coastal waters of northern Australia and nearby Southeast Asia. It swims actively using a cube-shaped bell and hunts small fish and crustaceans with tentacles armed with stinging cells. Its venom can be dangerous to people, so seasonal beach safety measures are important where it occurs.

Classification in this archive

  1. Kingdom: Animals
  2. Phylum: Cnidarians
  3. Class: Box jellyfish
  4. Order: Chirodropida
  5. Family: Chirodropidae
  6. Genus: Chironex
  7. Species: Chironex fleckeri

Habitat and distribution

Selected documented locations — not a complete species range.

Habitat
coastal ocean, estuaries
Selected regions
Asia, Oceania

Conservation status

Conservation status not recorded.

Did you know?

  • Chironex fleckeri responds to several colours of light.
  • Chironex fleckeri feeds mostly on prawns; very large jellyfish may also catch fish.

Sources and attribution