A research team in Hong Kong (China) has announced the discovery of a new species of box jellyfish at the Mai Po Nature Reserve in this Special Administrative Region.
This discovery marks the first identification of a venomous species in Chinese waters.
A university in Hong Kong, China has discovered a new species of box jellyfish in the nature reserve.
Specifically, on April 18, Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), along with the local branch of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in Hong Kong, Ocean Park Hong Kong, and the University of Manchester (UK), announced that the research team collected jellyfish samples from a brackish shrimp farm between 2020 and 2022, leading to the identification of this new box jellyfish species.
Named Tripedalia maipoensis after the local area where the research team made the discovery, this box jellyfish has a cubic body shape, is colorless, has 24 eyes, and possesses three tentacles that can reach up to 10 cm in length.
These tentacles resemble paddles, allowing this jellyfish species to move faster than other jellyfish.
Professor Qiu Jianwen from the Department of Biology at HKBU stated that although Tripedalia maipoensis has only been discovered in the Mai Po Nature Reserve, the research team believes this species also inhabits the waters near the Pearl River estuary.
According to expert Qiu, this new discovery highlights the diversity of marine life in Hong Kong and even in greater China.
Box jellyfish, scientifically known as Cubozoa, belong to a group of marine creatures known for their high toxicity, commonly found in tropical waters.
