A mysterious type of jellyfish collected from South Cronulla has intrigued the Australian Museum.
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Although not a new sighting, this is first time the specimen has been picked up by locals to be identified by marine experts.
Open water swimming group, the Shark Island Psycho Swimmers (SIPS), had spotted the jellyfish on their regular swims in the past few years. But on Anzac Day morning in 2023, it was sighted closer to shore than usual.
Kurnell marine scientist and conservation advocate, Sarah-Jo Lobwein was tipped off by one of the swimmers, Jason Gilmore, who called her to check it out, after lifeguards assisted in bringing the jellyfish in. Armed with protective gloves and a glass jar full of ocean water, she went to investigate.
"The SIPS were a bit worried when they saw it again a few weeks ago," Sarah-Jo said. "We'd been tracking it but we needed a sample. Then Jason rang and said he had it in a bucket.
"It was quite active in the jar, which was large enough to protect the tentacles. But the specimen needed to be preserved as soon as possible before its structure deteriorated.
"The shape, number and arrangement of tentacles helps us to identify them. The deadly tropical Box Jellyfish has many tentacles and they are flatter, like fettuccine. The specimen collected also had multiple, different-shaped tentacles but has certain features that are seen on the non-dangerous specie.
"There were two more smaller sightings on the same day. There are a few out there. We are now eagerly awaiting the classification - to see it as a new species and its level of toxicity. We hope it's a less toxic species and a great reminder of how much we are yet to discover. This is community science in action."
The museum's principal marine biologist and marine invertebrate scientist Professor Shane Ahyong, said the jellyfish would be registered into collection, followed by detailed study for identification. It is being preserved in formalin ready for scientific analysis.
"The animal is a type of box jellyfish in the group called cubozoa," Professor Ahyong said. "It is unusual to be so far south, but beyond that, we currently can't say exactly what species it is, as this is the first specimen to be captured allowing us to study it in detail. That's why this find so important and exciting.
"The infamous Box Jellyfish (chironex) is strictly a tropical species, but there are other relatives that naturally live in cooler waters. For this one, we simply don't know enough yet. It could well be new to science but some detailed study is now needed to determine this."
The jimble (carybdea rastoni) jellyfish is seen frequently in the waters of Cronulla. The sting is painful, but not fatal.
Venom remains in the stingers whether the jellyfish is dead on the sand or in the water. Vinegar is the recommended treatment if stung, followed by a pressure immobilisation bandage.
If you sight a jellyfish that has a cube shape with multiple tentacles, take a photo and send it to environmental conservation organisation SO SHIRE on Facebook.
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