Emily McAtee

13 December 2016
Marine Biology
Mrs. Kalison

The Bad Squishies

Close to shore and in the deepest depths of the ocean lie creatures of all shapes and sizes.
Each of these creatures rank differently on the Danger to humans scale, with some of the
smallest creatures being the highest on the danger scale. Some say that being stung feels like
being repeatedly burned with hot charcoal (4) and that one could have a psychological
phenomena such as the feeling of impending doom (4) and in some cases, death as quickly as
within 2 to 5 minutes (4) The animals being referred to are the jellyfish. These animals have
specialized tissues and have a primitive nervous system called a nerve set.They have tentacles
and special cells called cnidocytes which have stinging barbs called nematocysts. These often
contain a toxin that can cause irritation or worse (8). Most jellyfish would not make it on the list
of bad squishies because their stings are not fatal, but the Box Jelly, the Irukandji jelly, and the
Portuguese man o war practically created this list.
In the phylum Cnidaria, class Cubozoa is where the Box Jelly Chironex and the irukanji
jelly Carukia call home, but in the class Hydrozoa the Portuguese man o war is found. These
three Jellyfish are the most fatal of their species. The phylum Cnidaria includes the sea
anemones, jellyfishes, corals, and their relatives. This group of animals has a tissue level or
organization, and display radial symmetry, where similar parts ofthe body are arranged and
repeated about a central axis (4). This helps create the bell shaped body, or the medusa, that
makes the jellyfish so recognizable. Jellyfish are helpful to the ocean, and humans are aware of
that and are afraid of them so they tend not to hunt this animal. These three jellyfish are
beautiful, dangerous, and of all sizes.
The first of the bad squishies is the Box Jellyfish also known as Chironex. They are
found in northern Australia, Southeast Asia, and in the Indian Ocean. These cnidarians have a
small, mostly transparent, cube-shaped medusa that has only four tentacles, one on each
corner.The life cycles includes a minute polyp as in scyphozoans (4). One of the many species
of Box jellyfishes is known as the Sea Wasp. This is one of the most dangerous marine animals
known, giving painful and sometimes fatal stings. In lieu of the trouble they can cause, they are
rather small and very young. For example, its inter-pedalia distance [increases] (IPD) by 3 mm
(0.12 in) per day, reaching an IPD of 50 mm (2 in) when 45 to 50 days old. The maximum age of
any individual examined was 88 days by which time it had grown to an IPD of 155 mm (6 in)
(1). A fully grown box jellyfish can measure up to 20 cm on each side (30 cm in diameter) and
the tentacles can grow up to 3 m in length and they weigh about 2 kg. They have about 16
tentacles on each corner containing 500,000 cnidocytes that contain nematocysts (a harpoon
shaped microscopic mechanism that injects venom into the victim.
Unlike other jellyfish who drift along for food, the Sea Wasp actively hunts for its prey
(small fish). They are capable of achieving speeds of up to 1.5 to 2 metres per second or about 4
knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) (2). The venom of the box jellyfish is distinct from that of others,
and is used to catch prey (small fish and invertebrates, including prawns and baitfish) and for
defence from predators, which include the butterfish, batfish, rabbitfish, crabs (blue swimmer
crab) and various species of turtle including the hawksbill sea turtle and flatback sea turtle. It
seems that sea turtles are unaffected by the stings because they seem to relish box jellyfish (2).
When it comes to what a Sea Wasps sting feels like, wikipedia sting pain can be as mild
as a short-lived itching and mild pain or the venom can cause cells to become porous enough to
allow potassium leakage, causing hyperkalemia, which can lead to cardiovascular collapse and
death as quickly as within 2 to 5 minutes. In The Case of the Killer Cnidarians it states that its
stings cause immediate, extreme pain. Death due to heart failure may follow within minutes,
especially in children. Skin that touches the tentacles swells up, and the purple or dark brown
likes that are left are slow to heal. Now how does one treat such a terrible sting? There is an
antivenin that has been developed, but if that is unavailable, the recommended first air is to
dowse the sting with vinegar.
The next terrifying medusa is the Irukandji Jellyfish, the smallest and most venomous
box jellyfish in the worldand one of the most venomous creatures on Earth (7) They are
found in the waters of Australia, British Isles and Japan. Unlike the sea wasps, Irukandji
normally live offshore but currents occasionally sweep them into shallow waters (3). This little
dudes are range from 5 mm to 25 mm in bell size, and they have four long tentacles, that range
from a few centimeters all the way up to a full meter. Their small size and the fact that they have
a transparent body make them extremely difficult to see in the water.
Not all ages have the same amount of power in this species. Mature Irukanji typically
have halo-like rings of tissue around their four tentacles. Apparently, it is the mature Irukanji that
are highly poisonous. Apparent juveniles have been identified without the halo-rings, and
without gonads, and have demonstrated far weaker toxicity in stinging researchers (5). Their
nematocysts are in clumps, appearing as rings of small red dots around the bell and along the
tentacles. In the American Scientific Blog there was research posted by Becky Crew including
this statement, Very little is known about the life cycle and venom of Irukandji jellyfish. This is
partly because they are too small and fragile requiring special handling and containment.
Their venom is very powerful. Researchers conjecture that the venom possesses such
potency to enable it to quickly stun its prey, which consists of small and fast fish (5). Irukandji
jellyfish differ from other box jellyfish species in that they have the ability to fire stingers from
the tips and inject venom. Currently, it is not known whether this is for some special purpose.
Irukandji jellyfish stings are so severe they can cause fatal brain haemorrhages and on average
spend 50-100 people to the hospital annually. It is capable of delivering a sting 100 times as
potent as that of a cobra and 1,000 times stronger than a tarantula (5). One of the major
symptoms when stung by one of these fish is Irukandji Syndrome. Irukandji syndrome is
produced by a small amount of venom and induces excruciating muscle cramps in the arms and
legs, severe pain in the back and kidneys, a burning sensation of the skin and face, headaches,
nausea, restlessness, sweating, vomiting, an increase in heart rate and blood pressure, and
psychological phenomena such as the feeling of impending doom. Judging from statistics, it is
believed that the Irukandji syndrome may be produced by several species of jellyfish, but only
Carukia barnesi and Malo kingi have so far been proven to cause the condition (5). When
someone gets strung the best thing to go is rinse off with seawater, so not to further emit venom,
and then doused in vinegar.
The last of these bad squishies is known as the Portuguese man o war. This squishy
is part of the class hydrozoa, and can be found most commonly in the open oceans in tropical and
subtropical regions, generally in warm waters. They move according to the wind, so when strong
winds occur, it may drive them into bays or onto beaches.
 The Portuguese man o war is a colony of polyps with one individual that forms a large
gas bag which it fills with carbon dioxide to make a float. The others hang down as tentacles
which can give swimmers a terrible sting. If the sea gets rough, the float is emptied and the
colony sinks beneath the surface (8). Although they are made up of many little medusa, they can
reach great sizes. They range anywhere from 9 to 30 cm long, and can extend as much as15 cm
above the water with tentacles typically 10 m in length but can reach over 30 m. They use their
tentacles to fish continuously through the water, and each tentacle bears stinging, venom-
filled nematocysts (coiled, thread-like structures), which sting and kill adult or larval squids and
fishes. Large groups of Portuguese man o' war, sometimes over 1,000 individuals, can deplete
fisheries (7).
The stings of a Portuguese man o war are very painful, like being repeatedly burned
with a hot charcoal. The pain may last for hours, especially if sensitive areas of the body were
affected. Red lines appear where tentacles have touched the skin, and welts usually follow (3).
The other of the previously mentioned article have both had encounters with this deadly jelly, but
not as severe as others. One of them saw a man get stung on the hand, and when the intense pain
reached his armpit he passed out,, and that is not the worst of it! There can be nausea and
difficulty breathing. Contact of tentacles with the eye may damage the cornea. Allergic reactions
to the toxin may cause shock and even death, and swimmers may drown because of pain or
shock (3). One thing to remember, is that the Portuguese man o war is not only deadly in the
water, but on shore where ever it has washed up; the discovery of a man o war washed up on a
beach may lead to the closure of the beach (6 ). Funnily enough, most man o war stings do not
require immediate medical treatment. The usual round of treatment for a Portuguese man o' war
sting begins with the application of poured salt water to rinse away any remaining microscopic
nematocystsrubbing or touching the wound causes the discharge of any nematocysts still
attached to the skin. Rinsing with salt water helps wash these "unfired" nematocysts away from
the wound, though it does not directly relieve the pain (9) then soak in ammonia and water to
kill the remaining nematocysts. Lastly, doused in vinegar and apply heat with hot salt water (not
fresh) or hot packs as hot as the victim can handle.
To sum this all up, even the smallest of creature can kill you, and its very important to
stay aware of your surrounding in the ocean. These three jellyfish are medusa shaped cnidarians
in either the class Cubozoa or the class Hydrozoa. Very few creatures eat these animals so they
are winning right now in the fight for survival because humans do not fish for jellies like they
do other animals. Each of these bad squishies have tentacles that are made of cnidocytes which
have nematocysts that contain crazy toxins. The Sea Wasp Box jellyfishs sting is immediately
painful and can cause death, the Irukanji jellyfish sting causes Irukanji syndrome which can lead
to death, and the Portuguese man o wars sting is repeatedly painful and very slow healing
which in turn can cause death. These animals are important to keep the ocean running smoothly,
so do not go out and hunt them for game. They are important and very dangerous.

Works Cited
1. "Box Jellyfish." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2016.

2. "Box Jellyfish, Box Jellyfish Pictures, Box Jellyfish Facts". NationalGeographic.com.

Retrieved 2012-08-27.

3. Castro, Peter, Ph.D, and Michael E. Huber, Ph.d. "The Case of the Killer Cnidarians." Marine
Biology. Ninth ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2013. 122. Print.
4. Castro, Peter, Ph.D, and Michael E. Huber, Ph.D. "Marine Animals Without a Backbone."
Marine Biology. Ninth ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2013. 118-23. Print.

5. Crew, Becky, "The Smallest and Deadliest Kingslayer in the World," October 7, 2013,
Scientific American blog, retrieved Nov. 6, 2016

6. "Dangerous jellyfish wash up". BBC News. 2008-08-18. Retrieved 2016-12-07.

7. "Irukandji Jellyfish." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2016.

8. Kalison, Mrs. "Phylum Cnidaria (Coelenterata)." Marine Biology. Mesa Community College,
Mesa. Sept.-Oct. 2016. Reading.

9. "Portuguese Man O' War." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2016