Scientists Discover New Deadly Box Jellyfish Species

New container jellyfish, a venomous cubic carnal with 24 eyes. Credit: Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU)

Marine scientists person identified a caller taxon of highly venomous container jellyfish surviving adjacent a Singapore land erstwhile known arsenic Pulau Blakang Mati, a Malay sanction that translates to “Island of Death Behind.”

Researchers named the taxon Chironex blakangmati aft the island’s erstwhile name, alternatively of its existent name, Sentosa, which means bid and tranquility. The taxon was identified from specimens collected successful waters adjacent the land successful 2020 and 2021. The find was published May 15 successful the diary Raffles Bulletin of Zoology.

One of the ocean’s astir unsafe jellyfish groups

Scientists said C. blakangmati belongs to the Chironex genus, a radical known for producing immoderate of the world’s astir unsafe jellyfish. Their tentacles incorporate microscopic stinging cells called nematocysts that inject almighty venom.

Severe stings tin trigger utmost pain, bosom problems, and, successful immoderate cases, death. Box jellyfish person been linked to fatal incidents crossed parts of the Indo-Pacific region, including Australia and Southeast Asia.

Unlike galore jellyfish that drift with currents, Chironex taxon tin actively aquatics and hunt prey. Researchers said the animals usage beardown muscles and analyzable eyes that assistance them observe question and navigate done the water.

Genetic and carnal differences confirmed the species

Researchers initially believed the Singapore specimens belonged to different unsafe species, Chironex yamaguchii. However, elaborate familial investigating and anatomical comparisons revealed that the jellyfish represented a abstracted species.

Scientists person identified a caller highly venomous container jellyfish taxon adjacent Singapore’s Sentosa land — erstwhile known arsenic Pulau Blakang Mati, oregon “Island of Death Behind.” pic.twitter.com/hnJWr7R94Z

— Tom Marvolo Riddle (@tom_riddle2025) May 20, 2026

Study co-author Cheryl Ames said the Singapore specimens intimately resembled C. yamaguchii, a taxon she archetypal identified during earlier probe successful Okinawa, Japan.

To corroborate the differences, Ames reexamined preserved samples of C. yamaguchii stored from her earlier work.

Researchers besides recovered a cardinal anatomical difference. The recently identified taxon lacks branched canal structures adjacent the little portion of its bell-shaped body. Those structures are contiguous successful different known Chironex taxon and assistance enactment the muscles utilized for swimming.

Scientists said the anatomical differences, unneurotic with the familial evidence, confirmed C. blakangmati arsenic a chiseled species.

Thai oversea wasp was besides detected successful Singapore waters

The study besides documented Chironex indrasaksajiae, commonly called the Thai oversea wasp, successful Singapore’s waters for the archetypal time.

The taxon is usually recovered successful Thailand and is besides considered highly venomous. Researchers said its quality successful Singapore suggests scientists inactive cognize comparatively small astir the organisation of box jellyfish crossed Southeast Asia.

Study co-author Danwei Huang said the findings supply caller penetration into the diverseness of Chironex jellyfish successful the region.

Researchers said improving cognition of wherever unsafe container jellyfish unrecorded could assistance authorities trim superior injuries and deaths linked to stings successful coastal areas.