Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat They Look LikeRisk of DeathSigns and SymptomsEmergency TreatmentWhat Not to DoPrevention Tips
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What They Look Like
Risk of Death
Signs and Symptoms
Emergency Treatment
What Not to Do
Prevention Tips
The box jellyfish sting can deliver one of the most deadly venoms on the planet. There are more than 50 species of box jellyfish around the world, eight of which are potentially deadly.Some can kill in as little as five minutes.Even so, most cases are not life-threatening.
The quick recognition and treatment of a box jellyfish sting can help ease symptoms and reduce the risk of severe complications likesudden cardiac arrestand death.
David Fleetham / Getty Images
What Does a Box Jellyfish Look Like?
Box jellyfish are a species of jellyfish classified asCubazoathat inhabit warm coastal waters around the world.
Each tentacle is covered with button-like structures loaded with thousands of poisonous “darts” that reach their target and deliver toxins within a millionth of a second.
Box jellyfish are also unique in that they target prey (mainly shrimp and small fish) with 24 eyes that allow them to look in many different directions. Box jellyfish are the only jellyfish known to have true eyes, complete with a lens,retina, andcornea.
Of the many species of box jellyfish, eight are capable of causing death. Arguably the most venomous is theChironex fleckeri(also known as the Australian box jellyfish) which can weigh up to 4 pounds and has dozens of tentacles reaching up to 10 feet.
Box jellyfish are mainly found in tropical waters around Australia, Thailand, and the Philippines. Less commonly, they are seen near the coastlines of Hawaii, Florida, the Caribbean, Puerto Rico, and other tropical coastal regions.
Can a Box Jellyfish Sting Kill You?
Box jellyfish are responsible for at least 40 deaths each year, but experts believe that the true figure is far higher.
Only eight of the over 50 different species of box jellyfish have the potential for fatality. Their stings contain toxins that affect the nervous system and, when delivered in high enough doses, can cause dysfunction of the heart and other organ systems.
Also contributing to deaths isanaphylaxis, a potentially life-threatening, whole-body allergy that can lead to shock, coma, and death if not treated immediately.
Even if someone has a relatively mild reaction to a box jellyfish sting, it can causetissue necrosis(tissue death) and permanent scarring if not treated appropriately.
Medical Emergency
While uncommon, some box jellyfish stings have been known to trigger anaphylaxis a week or more after the sting.
What Happens if a Box Jellyfish Stings You?
Box jellyfish stings are extremely painful. While symptoms can develop hours to weeks after a sting, most develop and appear almost immediately. These include:
Some box jellyfish stings causeIrukandji syndrome, a group of symptoms that begin 20 to 30 minutes after the sting. Although rarely fatal, Irukandji syndrome can progress and become serious in some people, leading topulmonary edema(fluid in the lungs) andcardiogenic shock.
Signs of a potentially deadly reaction to a box jellyfish sting include:
What Do Box Jellyfish Stings Look Like?
Box jellyfish stings are often described as looking like whip lashes, long caterpillar tracks, or step ladder-like burn marks on the skin. There tends to be more than one of these lashes, often on the legs but sometimes around the torso or arms.
What Neutralizes a Box Jellyfish Sting?
Experts in Australia developed an antidote to the most deadly form of box jellyfish sting, which works in about 15 minutes, but getting it to victims in time remains a challenge.
Vinegar for First Aid
Flushing the wound with regular vinegar (4% to 6% acetic acid) is the frontline approach to treating box jellyfish stings. The vinegar inhibits the discharge of toxins from tiny capsules, called nematocysts, that are implanted in the skin with each whip-like sting.
It’s important to know what you shouldn’t do as well as what you should do in the event of a box jellyfish sting, such as:
Should I Pee on a Jellyfish Sting?Despite popular belief, peeing on a jellyfish sting isn’t recommended. In fact, it may even increase pain.
Should I Pee on a Jellyfish Sting?
Despite popular belief, peeing on a jellyfish sting isn’t recommended. In fact, it may even increase pain.
How to Prevent Box Jellyfish Stings
There are several things you can do to reduce the risk of getting a box jellyfish sting. These include:
When Is Box Jellyfish Season?Box jellyfish have a life span of only around three months and proliferate seasonally when they are actively breeding.In tropical coastlines of the southern hemisphere, “jellyfish season” can span the months of October to June.In the northern hemisphere, the season can run from late summer to early fall.
When Is Box Jellyfish Season?
Box jellyfish have a life span of only around three months and proliferate seasonally when they are actively breeding.In tropical coastlines of the southern hemisphere, “jellyfish season” can span the months of October to June.In the northern hemisphere, the season can run from late summer to early fall.
Summary
Box jellyfish, usually found in tropical or warm waters, are one of the most venomous creatures in the world. There are dozens of kinds of box jellyfish, and some species are deadly.
13 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.University of Florida Health.Jellyfish stings.Cegolon L, Heymann WC, Lange JH, Mastrangelo G.Jellyfish stings and their management: a review.Marine Drugs. 2013;11(2):523. doi:10.3390/md11020523Lakkis NA, Maalouf GJ, Mahmassani DM.Jellyfish stings: a practical approach.Wilderness Environ Med. 2015;26(3):422-429. doi:10.1016/j.wem.2015.01.003University of Michigan.Chironex fleckeri.National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.What is the most venomous marine animal?Smithsonian Ocean.How do jellyfish sting.Keesing JK, Strzelecki J, Stowar M.Abundant box jellyfish,Chironexsp. (Cnidaria: Cubozoa: Chirodropidae), discovered at depths of over 50 m on western Australian coastal reefs.Sci Rep.2016;6:22290. doi:10.1038/srep22290Augliere B.Researchers may have an antidote for the deadliest jellyfish sting on Earth.Science. 2019. doi:10.1126/science.aax8721Seymour B, Andreosso A, Seymour J.Chapter 7 - cardiovascular toxicity from marine envenomation. In:Heart and Toxins.Cambridge, MA:Academic Press; 2015. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-416595-3.00007-4Thaikruea L, Siriariyaporn P.The magnitude of severe box jellyfish cases on Koh Samui and Koh Pha-ngan in the Gulf of Thailand.BMC Res Notes.2016;9:108. doi:10.1186/s13104-016-1931-8Desax-Willer D, Krebs T, Christen S.Delayed deep dermal necrosis after jellyfish sting in a 4-year-old female infant.Case Rep Plastic Surg Hand Surg. 2018;5(1):75. doi:10.1080/23320885.2018.1533407Welfare P, Little M, Pereira P, Seymour J.An in-vitro examination of the effect of vinegar on discharged nematocysts of Chironex fleckeri.Diving Hyperb Med.2014 Mar;44(1):30-4.Goverment of Australia.Box jellyfish.
13 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.University of Florida Health.Jellyfish stings.Cegolon L, Heymann WC, Lange JH, Mastrangelo G.Jellyfish stings and their management: a review.Marine Drugs. 2013;11(2):523. doi:10.3390/md11020523Lakkis NA, Maalouf GJ, Mahmassani DM.Jellyfish stings: a practical approach.Wilderness Environ Med. 2015;26(3):422-429. doi:10.1016/j.wem.2015.01.003University of Michigan.Chironex fleckeri.National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.What is the most venomous marine animal?Smithsonian Ocean.How do jellyfish sting.Keesing JK, Strzelecki J, Stowar M.Abundant box jellyfish,Chironexsp. (Cnidaria: Cubozoa: Chirodropidae), discovered at depths of over 50 m on western Australian coastal reefs.Sci Rep.2016;6:22290. doi:10.1038/srep22290Augliere B.Researchers may have an antidote for the deadliest jellyfish sting on Earth.Science. 2019. doi:10.1126/science.aax8721Seymour B, Andreosso A, Seymour J.Chapter 7 - cardiovascular toxicity from marine envenomation. In:Heart and Toxins.Cambridge, MA:Academic Press; 2015. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-416595-3.00007-4Thaikruea L, Siriariyaporn P.The magnitude of severe box jellyfish cases on Koh Samui and Koh Pha-ngan in the Gulf of Thailand.BMC Res Notes.2016;9:108. doi:10.1186/s13104-016-1931-8Desax-Willer D, Krebs T, Christen S.Delayed deep dermal necrosis after jellyfish sting in a 4-year-old female infant.Case Rep Plastic Surg Hand Surg. 2018;5(1):75. doi:10.1080/23320885.2018.1533407Welfare P, Little M, Pereira P, Seymour J.An in-vitro examination of the effect of vinegar on discharged nematocysts of Chironex fleckeri.Diving Hyperb Med.2014 Mar;44(1):30-4.Goverment of Australia.Box jellyfish.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
University of Florida Health.Jellyfish stings.Cegolon L, Heymann WC, Lange JH, Mastrangelo G.Jellyfish stings and their management: a review.Marine Drugs. 2013;11(2):523. doi:10.3390/md11020523Lakkis NA, Maalouf GJ, Mahmassani DM.Jellyfish stings: a practical approach.Wilderness Environ Med. 2015;26(3):422-429. doi:10.1016/j.wem.2015.01.003University of Michigan.Chironex fleckeri.National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.What is the most venomous marine animal?Smithsonian Ocean.How do jellyfish sting.Keesing JK, Strzelecki J, Stowar M.Abundant box jellyfish,Chironexsp. (Cnidaria: Cubozoa: Chirodropidae), discovered at depths of over 50 m on western Australian coastal reefs.Sci Rep.2016;6:22290. doi:10.1038/srep22290Augliere B.Researchers may have an antidote for the deadliest jellyfish sting on Earth.Science. 2019. doi:10.1126/science.aax8721Seymour B, Andreosso A, Seymour J.Chapter 7 - cardiovascular toxicity from marine envenomation. In:Heart and Toxins.Cambridge, MA:Academic Press; 2015. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-416595-3.00007-4Thaikruea L, Siriariyaporn P.The magnitude of severe box jellyfish cases on Koh Samui and Koh Pha-ngan in the Gulf of Thailand.BMC Res Notes.2016;9:108. doi:10.1186/s13104-016-1931-8Desax-Willer D, Krebs T, Christen S.Delayed deep dermal necrosis after jellyfish sting in a 4-year-old female infant.Case Rep Plastic Surg Hand Surg. 2018;5(1):75. doi:10.1080/23320885.2018.1533407Welfare P, Little M, Pereira P, Seymour J.An in-vitro examination of the effect of vinegar on discharged nematocysts of Chironex fleckeri.Diving Hyperb Med.2014 Mar;44(1):30-4.Goverment of Australia.Box jellyfish.
University of Florida Health.Jellyfish stings.
Cegolon L, Heymann WC, Lange JH, Mastrangelo G.Jellyfish stings and their management: a review.Marine Drugs. 2013;11(2):523. doi:10.3390/md11020523
Lakkis NA, Maalouf GJ, Mahmassani DM.Jellyfish stings: a practical approach.Wilderness Environ Med. 2015;26(3):422-429. doi:10.1016/j.wem.2015.01.003
University of Michigan.Chironex fleckeri.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.What is the most venomous marine animal?
Smithsonian Ocean.How do jellyfish sting.
Keesing JK, Strzelecki J, Stowar M.Abundant box jellyfish,Chironexsp. (Cnidaria: Cubozoa: Chirodropidae), discovered at depths of over 50 m on western Australian coastal reefs.Sci Rep.2016;6:22290. doi:10.1038/srep22290
Augliere B.Researchers may have an antidote for the deadliest jellyfish sting on Earth.Science. 2019. doi:10.1126/science.aax8721
Seymour B, Andreosso A, Seymour J.Chapter 7 - cardiovascular toxicity from marine envenomation. In:Heart and Toxins.Cambridge, MA:Academic Press; 2015. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-416595-3.00007-4
Thaikruea L, Siriariyaporn P.The magnitude of severe box jellyfish cases on Koh Samui and Koh Pha-ngan in the Gulf of Thailand.BMC Res Notes.2016;9:108. doi:10.1186/s13104-016-1931-8
Desax-Willer D, Krebs T, Christen S.Delayed deep dermal necrosis after jellyfish sting in a 4-year-old female infant.Case Rep Plastic Surg Hand Surg. 2018;5(1):75. doi:10.1080/23320885.2018.1533407
Welfare P, Little M, Pereira P, Seymour J.An in-vitro examination of the effect of vinegar on discharged nematocysts of Chironex fleckeri.Diving Hyperb Med.2014 Mar;44(1):30-4.
Goverment of Australia.Box jellyfish.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
