On a seaward reef night dive on 28 June 2008, we spotted a large (maybe 250mm tall?), somewhat tattered box jelly drifting sluggishly along the reef. Probably it had been beaten up crossing the reef through the breakers from the lagoon side. One of us kept it at bay using a short PVC pipe normally used to fend off the bottom, and after examining it, we let the jelly drift past. Unfortunately, neither of us had a camera that night. Some minutes after sending the jelly on its way, the hand holding the PVC pipe started stinging. Soon it was realized that some nematocysts must have been left on the pipe and it was abandoned. However, the pain continued to mount until it forced us out of the water. It took a couple of hours for the pain on the fingers and palm of the hand, normally a tough area not prone to being stung, to subside. Below is a photo of the fingers taken later that evening. They almost look burned. The jelly, although much larger, looked very similar in shape to the Alatina alata elsewhere on this site but was much larger, and the only species in that group that reaches that size is Alatina grandis. Of course it would to take a specimen of very clear photo to confirm the ID.
Created 20 October 2015
Updated 23 August 2020