Scientists have described a new species of highly venomous box jellyfish based on specimens that were lurking near a Singaporean island formerly known as Pulau Blakang Mati, or the “Island of Death Behind,” in 2020 and 2021.
The newly described species, Chironex blakangmati, was named after the island’s original, ominous name in Malay, rather than its name since 1972, Sentosa, which means “peace and tranquility.” That’s fitting, given how dangerous the animal is.
Previously, scientists had mistaken C. blakangmati for another box jellyfish species, C. yamaguchii. However, it turns out that these box jellies are different, both genetically and morphologically, scientists reported in a new study, published May 15 in the journal Raffles Bulletin of Zoology.
