[Lee Stewart]

Most of the 50-odd species of box jellyfish are relatively harmless but some of the shimmering, hypnotically beautiful creatures are effectively floating death traps, with each tentacle packing an arsenal of poisonous darts. The few lethal varieties are found mainly in the Indo-Pacific region and northern Australia – the Australian box jellyfish is the deadliest of all marine creatures. Those (including humans) unlucky enough to be struck can suffer paralysis, cardiac arrest and even death within minutes.