Sea wasp

Chironex fleckeri

The sea wasp is a box jellyfish of Australasian, Indian, and Pacific coastal waters. It is a solitary carnivore and an active swimmer.

Key facts

Sea wasp (Chironex fleckeri) is a carnivore animal classified as Invertebrate · Chirodropida · Chirodropidae.
Primary habitats are coast · open ocean, with a range across Australasian · Indian Ocean · Pacific Ocean.
Activity is diurnal, sociality is solitary, and conservation status is LC (Least Concern).
The sea wasp is a box jellyfish of Australasian, Indian, and Pacific coastal waters.
It appears in tropical coasts and shallow seas, sometimes near estuaries and sandy beaches.
Typical lifespan: 1-5 years

Habitat range map

Native rangeOccasional / Transient

Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)

It appears in tropical coasts and shallow seas, sometimes near estuaries and sandy beaches. Occurrence varies by season and locality.

Bell size is about 15-30 cm, and weight about 0.5-2 kg. A transparent box-shaped bell carries long tentacles lined with stinging cells.

It is solitary and treated here as diurnal. Unlike many drifting jellyfish, it swims actively and responds to obstacles and prey.

It is carnivorous, catching small fish and shrimp with its tentacles. Venomous stinging cells quickly immobilize prey.

Its life cycle includes a swimming medusa and a bottom-attached polyp stage. Polyps produce young jellyfish that enter the water column.

Its conservation status is LC. Stings can be dangerous, so local warnings and swimming closures should be followed in its range.