Box jellyfish

The box jellyfish is a pale blue sea animal with a body shaped like a box. It is almost see-through, so it can be very hard to spot in the water. From each of its four corners hangs a bunch of long, trailing tentacles. It lives in the warm coastal seas of northern Australia and other nearby parts of the ocean.

It drifts and gently jets along, hunting in the daytime and resting on the sea floor at night. With its tentacles it catches little prawns and small fish. Even though a box jellyfish has no brain like ours, it has 24 tiny eyes dotted around its body to help it find its way.

A box jellyfish has a very powerful sting. Its tentacles are one of the strongest stingers of any animal in the sea. The jellyfish is not trying to be mean, though. It uses its sting to catch the tiny animals it eats and to keep itself safe.

Because the sting is so strong, people take special care in these warm waters. Swimmers follow the signs and listen to the local lifeguards, who know when and where it is safe. Many people stay out of the sea during the warmer “stinger season,” and some beaches put up special nets, or wear protective stinger suits, so everyone can enjoy the water safely. If someone is ever stung, grown-ups get help straight away.

By following this simple, local advice, people and box jellyfish can share the same warm seas. The box jellyfish just goes on quietly drifting and hunting, an unusual and interesting animal that is best admired from a safe distance.