Chironex
Encyclopedia
Chironex is a genus
of box jellyfish
in the Chirodropidae
family. Traditionally, only a single species, C. fleckeri
, was recognized in this genus, but in 2009 a second species, C.yamaguchii, was described. Their stings are highly venomous, and both species have caused human fatalities. Based on present knowledge, the genus is restricted to the central Indo-Pacific
, ranging from to southern Japan
to northern Australia
.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of box jellyfish
Box jellyfish
Box jellyfish are cnidarian invertebrates distinguished by their cube-shaped medusae. Box jellyfish are known for the extremely potent venom produced by some species: Chironex fleckeri, Carukia barnesi and Malo kingi are among the most venomous creatures in the world...
in the Chirodropidae
Chirodropidae
Chirodropidae is a family of venomous box jellyfish within class Cubozoa.One of the species of jellyfish that belongs to this class is the Chironex fleckeri.-Chirodectes:* Chirodectes maculatus...
family. Traditionally, only a single species, C. fleckeri
Chironex fleckeri
Chironex fleckeri, commonly known as sea wasp, is a species of Box jellyfish found in coastal waters from northern Australia and New Guinea north to the Philippines and Vietnam. It has been described as "the most lethal jellyfish in the world", with at least 63 known deaths from 1884 to...
, was recognized in this genus, but in 2009 a second species, C.yamaguchii, was described. Their stings are highly venomous, and both species have caused human fatalities. Based on present knowledge, the genus is restricted to the central Indo-Pacific
Indo-Pacific
The Indo-Pacific is a biogeographic region of the Earth's seas, comprising the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the seas connecting the two in the general area of Indonesia...
, ranging from to southern Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
to northern Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.