The sea wasp, also called the box jellyfish or chironex fleckeri, is a species of jellyfish that belongs to the Chirodropida family. This animal is considered one of the deadliest on earth, so much so that numerous studies ensure that its bite is the most lethal.
They mainly inhabit the waters of northern Australia, although they are often displaced towards the coasts due to marine currents. However, there is evidence that there are specimens throughout the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Likewise, they have been seen in New Guinea, Vietnam and the Philippines.
However, a fact and curiosity to take into account about these sea wasps is that adult specimens usually stay in small areas without traveling long distances. But what does this mean? Well, young specimens do not have the same amount of poison as adults, these being the most deadly. While this type of younger jellyfish can have 5% poison, adults can have 50%.
For this reason, it is important to know that, although the young do move long distances, the adults tend to stay together and in small areas, so it is also easier to be seen and, therefore, avoid being bitten by them.
Another of the most relevant data has to do with its reproduction, which takes place in the months of October and May. For this, sea wasps prefer to get close to the coast, so in many areas of northwestern Australia, such as Queensland, bathing is prohibited during this period.
This is the sensation of the sting of the sea wasp
The sting of this type of jellyfish is very painful. Its venom directly attacks the heart, nervous system, and respiratory system. Therefore, in very few cases, it survives. In addition, the bite can generate skin necrosis and very extreme pain. These cells can cause death in just a few minutes due to cardiac arrest or pain paralysis.
Numerous studies go so far as to affirm that only one adult jellyfish of this type could kill six hundred people with its venom. This jellyfish has sixty tentacles that can be up to three meters long. It is in them that the venom is found through different microscopic hooks and stinging cells called cnidocytes.
However, a cure for such bites has already been found. Already in 2019, researchers at the University of Sydney developed an antidote. However, it is still being tested, so its commercialization has not yet begun. What is known is that these researchers believe that the fastest way to alleviate such a sting would be a topical application, that is, any drug that is applied to the surface of the body. In this case, in that part where you have the sting.
If you are curious to see the sea wasp live, you should know that you can do it at the Townsville Tropical Museum. There keep a copy of this type of jellyfish in a jar. Well, everyone is struck by the length of their tentacles and their shape, since they look more like an umbrella than a dome or a bell, as is usually the case with other types of jellyfish.
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