Cnidaria

          The Phylum Cnidaria Includes over 10,000 species of animals. The defining features of cnidarians are the cnidocytes or stinging cells used for paralyzing prey. The Cnidarian phylum includes jellyfish, anemones, and hydras. there are 4 classes within the phylum cnidaria, including hydrozoa, scythozoa, cubozoa, and anthozoa.

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          One of the many species of cnidarians is the box jellyfish of class cubozoa. the scientific name of the box jellyfish is Chironex Flecki. The box jellyfish belongs to the order chiropida, the family chiropidae, and the genus chironex.
          The box jellyfish feeds on prawns and fish during the polyp stage, and shrimp once it becomes a medusa. Box Jellyfish are predators, and use their tentacles containing thousands of cnidocytes to kill their prey. Then it pulls the food to it's mouth where it enters the digestive cavity. It then dissolves the prey and the gastroderm absorbs the nutrients.
          Jellyfish reproduce sexually as medusa, but can reproduce asexually as polyps by budding. The box jellyfish undergoes a complete metamorphosis, and becomes sexually active around 2 months into their life. The adults die after reproduction so the young must fend for themselves.
Box jellyfish usually live in shallow murky saline waters in the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, or near the Great Barrier reef off the coast of Australia.
          The box jellyfish has nearly no ecological impact, and no conservation efforts are being made. Box Jellyfish are considered to be the most venomous creatures in the world. They are also the only Jellyfish that can actively swim rather than flowing with water currents. All jellyfish breathe through diffusion, absorbing oxygen  from the environment and expell Carbon Dioxide.