Carybdea branchi

Carybdea branchi
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Cnidaria
Class:	Cubozoa
Order:	Carybdeida
Family:	Carybdeidae
Genus:	Carybdea
Species:	C. branchi
Binomial name
Carybdea branchi Gershwin & Gibbons, 2009[1]

The South African box jellyfish, Carybdea branchi, is a venomous species of cnidarian, in the small family Carybdeidae within the class Cubozoa.

Description

This small box jellyfish grows up to 7cm across and may have tentacles of up to 2m in total length. It has a transparent box-shaped bell with a very long tentacle trailing from each corner.^[2]

Distribution

This jellyfish is found from the north of Namibia and around the South African coast to Port Elizabeth from the surface to a depth of at least 35m underwater.

Ecology

This jellyfish is often seen in swarms. The tentacles have a painful sting, although the sting is not known to be fatal. It is eaten by the sunfishes, Mola mola^[3] and Mola ramsayi, as well as the slender sunfish, Ranzania laevis.

References

1. Collins, Allen G. (2014). "Carybdea branchi Gershwin & Gibbons, 2009". World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 2015-01-03.
2. Branch, G.M., Branch, M.L, Griffiths, C.L. and Beckley, L.E. 2010. Two Oceans: a guide to the marine life of southern Africa. ISBN 978-1-77007-772-0.
3. Jones, Georgina. A field guide to the marine animals of the Cape Peninsula. SURG, Cape Town, 2008. ISBN 978-0-620-41639-9