TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A previously unidentified species of box jellyfish was recently discovered off Pulau Blakang Mati, an island in Singapore formerly known as Sentosa. This marine invertebrate is highly venomous, packing a sting that can prove fatal to humans.
According to a report by Live Science on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, the newly discovered species stands out from other box jellyfish, particularly due to its predatory behavior. Rather than passively drifting with ocean currents like its peers, this species actively swims using robust muscles and complex maneuvers.
Researchers have named the new species Chironex blakangmati, drawing from the location of its discovery near Pulau Blakang Mati. C. blakangmati joins the ranks of the four highly venomous Chironex box jellyfish species recognized to date.
Cheryl Ames, the study's lead author and a marine biology researcher at Tohoku University in Japan, noted that scientists initially mistook C. blakangmati for an already established box jellyfish species, such as Okinawa's Chironex yamaguchii. However, closer inspection revealed that the genetic and morphological traits of this species are distinct from any previously identified variants.
Ames remarked that this new species lacks the branched canal structure at the base of its bell-shaped body.
She also cautioned beachgoers and swimmers in Singapore to remain vigilant against the lethal sting of C. blakangmati. Global statistics indicate that box jellyfish stings claim approximately 40 lives annually.
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