Watch Out! They're Back!

[Billy_Dean]

Yes folks, our old friend, the box jellyfish is back. Hundreds of them were found in the waterways around the western Cape York Peninsula town of Weipa. The creatures were huge, box jellyfish are sexually mature at 15cms, these were 20cms. They are found in coastal waters, so if you must swim, swim fast, then you only have the sharks and crocs to worry about.
http://server2.uploadit.org/files/091103-Jellyfish2.jpg


Box Jellyfish
Species - Chironex Fleckeri

Description

Box Jellyfish are pale blue and transparent and bell or cubed shaped with four distinct sides, hence box jellyfish.
Measuring up to 20 cm along each side of the cube or bell, the Box Jellyfish has up to as many as 15 tentacles on each corner which can be 3 metres in length with up to 5,000 nematocysts (stinging cells).
The Box Jellyfish shoots itself along up to speeds of 4 knots in a jet-like motion.

Habitat

The box jellyfish seem to move towards the shore in calm waters when tide is rising and gather near the mouths of rivers, estrays and creeks following the rain.

Box Jellyfish feed on small fish and crustaceans.

Season

The Box Jellyfish season starts with the onset of the wet across the top of northern Australia, usually around October and lasts until April. Further south along the northern Queensland or northern Western Australia coast the season is usually from November to March. They sometimes appear further south a few weeks beyond the close of the season.

Venom

You have virtually no chance of surviving the venomous sting. The pain is so excruciating and overwhelming that you would most likely go into shock and drown before reaching the shore. So don't go swimming alone!

First Aid Never use methylated spirit or alcohol.

Domestic vinegars should be poured liberally over the tentacles to inactivate stinging cells as soon as possible. The tentacles may then be removed. Artificial respiration and cardiac massage may be required.
Where antivenom is unavailable, pressure-immobilisation may be used on limbs after inactivation of stinging cells, while the patient is being transported to the nearest medical centre.


:)

[Octopussy]

pfff my species eat them for snacks

[InverseKinetix]

Originally posted by Octopussy@9 November 2003 - 15:57
pfff my species eat them for snacks
What species is that?

chocolate starfish?
http://www.cjsconfections.com/images/optimized/browse/mold/starfish.jpg

[Octopussy]

octopussay

[Keikan]

Why don't you just not go in the water

[Billy_Dean]

Originally posted by Keikan@9 November 2003 - 17:17
Why don't you just not go in the water
Cos it's summer.

Actually, all our beaches have stinger nets, so as long as you stay in the enclosures you should be OK, no-one has died whilst swimming inside the nets.

Stinger precautions, Cairns beaches. (http://www.cairns.qld.gov.au/council/services/beaches_status.html)


:)

[Billy_Dean]

BTW,this does not effect swimming and diving on the reef as the jellyfish stick to the shore.


:)

[Riddler]

I got nailed by one of these little buggers while skin diving in the Bahamas many years ago. My foot swelled up like a balloon...very painful. Thankfully, they weren't as dangerous as those bad boys you have over there BD. :o

http://www.piczonline.com/client/riddler/manowar.jpg

[Billy_Dean]

If I'm not mistaken Riddler, that looks like a bluebottle. This jellyfish can kill people with certain allergies.

We have another jellyfish in these parts that is causing concern, mainly because of it's size, that's the "Irukandji". They are very small, only 1cm across, and are getting into our stinger nets. Last summer, these jellyfish killed three tourists in Far North Queensland.

http://server2.uploadit.org/files/091103-irukandji.jpgActual size. (on my monitor anyway)


Toxic shock from stinger family
Tuesday, 15 October 2002

Up to eight species of small, almost invisible box jellyfish cause Irukandji Syndrome – and there is no antivenom for their potentially fatal stings.

Dr Peter Fenner, Associate Professor at the James Cook University School of Medicine, and Mr John Hadok, of the Emergency Department at Mackay Base Hospital, have documented the first reported death from Irukandji Syndrome in the in The Medical Journal of Australia.
"More than 100 people are likely to be stung and visit hospital this summer. Tragically this year, for the first time, there were two fatalities from Irukandji Syndrome in North Queensland", said Dr Fenner.

Two middle-aged men were killed by jellyfish stings earlier this year, in separate incidents near Port Douglas and in the Whitsunday Islands.

Dr Fenner believes that the jellyfish responsible for the deaths is an undescribed species of Irukandji that lives around the outer reefs and the Whitsunday Islands of the Great Barrier Reef.


:)

[Riddler]

Could be BD, the guy at the Hotel clinic said they usually experienced Man-O-War migrations around that time of year. All I know is, there were thousands of them all of a sudden when just a half an hour before there was none ! It was freaky in any case.

[DarthInsinuate]

its in threads like these i feel safe not knowing how to swim - until i fall off the boat

[titey]

:huh: Why would you need to know how to swim?You could just "use the force" to float above the water. :P

[Guillaume]

Killer jellyfishes, fire ants... Is there anything non-lethal in Australia? :lol:

[Billy_Dean]

Originally posted by Gurahl@9 November 2003 - 22:19
Killer jellyfishes, fire ants... Is there anything non-lethal in Australia? :lol:
Yeah, the beer!!


:)

[UKMan]

This is why i'm glad i live in a country that turns evil thingies like that into frozen statues - allthough we have had them on the west coast during summer. Not that particular species mind you, but just as dangerous.

For those that dont know where i live right now, its Sweden - not UK ;)

Peace
UKSwedenMan

[bigboab]

Originally posted by UKMan@9 November 2003 - 14:04
This is why i'm glad i live in a country that turns evil thingies like that into frozen statues - allthough we have had them on the west coast during summer. Not that particular species mind you, but just as dangerous.

For those that dont know where i live right now, its Sweden - not UK ;)

Peace
UKSwedenMan
Could you go round and give Snny a hand with his computer? :D

[UKMan]

Originally posted by bigboab+9 November 2003 - 15:06--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (bigboab @ 9 November 2003 - 15:06)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-UKMan@9 November 2003 - 14:04
This is why i&#39;m glad i live in a country that turns evil thingies like that into frozen statues - allthough we have had them on the west coast during summer. Not that particular species mind you, but just as dangerous.

For those that dont know where i live right now, its Sweden - not UK&nbsp; ;)

Peace
UKSwedenMan
Could you go round and give Snny a hand with his computer? :D [/b][/quote]
uhmm - no&#33; - :D :D
Its a big country - wheres he at anyway ?

[Rat Faced]

Originally posted by Billy_Dean@9 November 2003 - 09:58
If I&#39;m not mistaken Riddler, that looks like a bluebottle. This jellyfish can kill people with certain allergies.

We have another jellyfish in these parts that is causing concern, mainly because of it&#39;s size, that&#39;s the "Irukandji". They are very small, only 1cm across, and are getting into our stinger nets. Last summer, these jellyfish killed three tourists in Far North Queensland.

http://server2.uploadit.org/files/091103-irukandji.jpgActual size. (on my monitor anyway)


Toxic shock from stinger family
Tuesday, 15 October 2002

Up to eight species of small, almost invisible box jellyfish cause Irukandji Syndrome – and there is no antivenom for their potentially fatal stings.

Dr Peter Fenner, Associate Professor at the James Cook University School of Medicine, and Mr John Hadok, of the Emergency Department at Mackay Base Hospital, have documented the first reported death from Irukandji Syndrome in the in The Medical Journal of Australia.
"More than 100 people are likely to be stung and visit hospital this summer. Tragically this year, for the first time, there were two fatalities from Irukandji Syndrome in North Queensland", said Dr Fenner.

Two middle-aged men were killed by jellyfish stings earlier this year, in separate incidents near Port Douglas and in the Whitsunday Islands.

Dr Fenner believes that the jellyfish responsible for the deaths is an undescribed species of Irukandji that lives around the outer reefs and the Whitsunday Islands of the Great Barrier Reef.


:)
OOOooo A squishy..

I shall call him "my squishy"... :blink:

[hobbes]

Originally posted by Billy_Dean@9 November 2003 - 08:28
BTW,this does not effect swimming and diving on the reef as the jellyfish stick to the shore.


:)
And peanut butter and jelly fish stick to the roof of your mouth, so again, no problem diving the reef.

[Spindulik]

Originally posted by Riddler@9 November 2003 - 04:28


http://www.piczonline.com/client/riddler/manowar.jpg
WTF is this blob of crap?

[wormless]

ok that means were&#39;ve got em back down here *shudders*

[TheDave]

we found one on the beach in blackpool. we poked it and it started pulsing red so we threw rocks at it.

[Billy_Dean]

Originally posted by wormless@10 November 2003 - 01:51
ok that means were&#39;ve got em back down here *shudders*
Where&#39;s "down here"?


:)

[wormless]

Originally posted by Billy_Dean+9 November 2003 - 15:55--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Billy_Dean @ 9 November 2003 - 15:55)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-wormless@10 November 2003 - 01:51
ok that means were&#39;ve got em back down here *shudders*
Where&#39;s "down here"?


:) [/b][/quote]
devon normally got them in harboutr point in torquay

[Mr. Mulder]

They truly are terrifying creatures.
http://www.alembic.co.uk/img/JELLY.GIF

[UKMan]

Originally posted by Arcadia@9 November 2003 - 17:41
They truly are terrifying creatures.
http://www.alembic.co.uk/img/JELLY.GIF
Jelly and custard will never be the same after that :unsure:

[clocker]

Bah&#33;

You Aussies make such a big deal out of nothing.

Obviously you have never come face to face with the terrifying Rocky Mountain Jellyfish.
Not an agile swimmer, but should you tangle with it you&#39;ll end up blue&#33;
http://www.walgreens.com/dbimagecache/73716.gif

Be afraid, be very afraid.

[ibelledthecat]

In india , my country village people worship these kinds of dangerous animals. :devil: :alien: :nuke: :ninja: :zorro:

[clocker]

Originally posted by ibelledthecat@9 November 2003 - 10:38
In india , my country village people worship these kinds of dangerous animals. :devil: :alien: :nuke: :ninja: :zorro:
Interesting.

In the US, my country, the Village People sing and dance.
http://www.anonymomma.com/village_people.jpg

Just not very well....

[hobbes]

Originally posted by clocker@9 November 2003 - 18:07
Bah&#33;

You Aussies make such a big deal out of nothing.

Obviously you have never come face to face with the terrifying Rocky Mountain Jellyfish.
Not an agile swimmer, but should you tangle with it you&#39;ll end up blue&#33;
http://www.walgreens.com/dbimagecache/73716.gif

Be afraid, be very afraid.
Clocker, I will take my chances with the Rocky Mountain Jellyfish, it is your oysters which I fear&#33;&#33;&#33;

What species of oyster are they? Only click here if you have the balls, these things are scary&#33; (http://www.outwestnewspaper.com/balls.html)

[Rat Faced]

:x

[wormless]

they horrible and nasty little things

[hobbes]

Originally posted by wormless@9 November 2003 - 21:35
they horrible and nasty little things
Well, actually they are about the size of your head.

[leonidas]

What do you call "stinger". Do you mean like the wasps&#39;s.
Are you talkin about this fish ?:

http://www.fr.ch/mhn/images/raie.gif

[leonidas]

bump :huh:

[uNz[i]]

No. Stinger is another name for Box Jellyfish, which is nothing like a Stingray.

You don&#39;t want to bump into a stinger when your swimming.. it will mess you up bad.

[leonidas]

ok get it thx ;)