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Home Kingdom Animalia Phylum Cnidaria Class Cubozoa

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2009/11/22 02:23:37.344 US/Eastern

By Phil Myers and Dr. John B. Burch, Ph.D.

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Cnidaria

Class: Cubozoa

Members of this Class

Cubozoans are also known as box jellyfish, because in transverse section the bells appear to be square. Tentacles are located at the corners of the square umbrella margin, and the base of each tentacle is distinctively flattened. The edge of the umbrella turns inward to form a rim called a velarium, much like the velum of hydromedusae.

Cubozoans are considered by some to be a subclass of Scyphozoa. Effective predators and strong swimmers, they feed mostly on fish. Their nematocysts are especially potent, sometimes resulting in the death of unfortunate human swimmers who encounter them.

Source:

• Hickman, C.P. and L. S. Roberts. 1994. Animal Diversity. Wm. C. Brown, Dubuque, IA.
• Brusca, R. C., and G. J. Brusca. Invertebrates. 1990. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, MA.

Contributors

Phil Myers (author), Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan. Dr. John B. Burch, Ph.D. (author), Mollusk Division, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan.

2009/11/22 02:23:37.569 US/Eastern

To cite this page: Myers, P. and J. Burch. 2001. "Cubozoa" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed November 23, 2009 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Cubozoa.html.

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This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grants DUE-0633095 and DRL-0628151.
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