Jellyfish causing Irukandji syndrome
Photograph by Mark Little
This jellyfish has no formal name, but is colloquially known by locals as a ‘fire jelly’. It is a robust carybdeid cubozoan with distinctive pin/purple nematocyst warts highly visible on the bell. The bell length of this specimen was approximately 100 mm with an interperdalial distance of 4.5 cm. The four single tentacles are strap-like in cross-section, and may be up to 0.5 m in length. This species has four types of nematocysts: three types on the tentacles and a fourth on the bell.
Irukandji syndrome, an envenoming syndrome due to small jellyfish, is commonly seen in northern Australia. In this edition of QJM, this jellyfish and four other species are added to the list of species that can cause Irukandji syndrome. Little is known about the venom or the ecology of the jellyfish responsible, nor is any antivenom available.
Mark Little