How the Box Jellyfish Actively Hunts for Prey with Deadly Tentacles (VIDEO)

First Posted: Jun 03, 2015 07:18 PM EDT

The box jellyfish is one of the most poisonous species in the world and now, researchers have found a little bit more about how they hunt. Scientists have discovered that these jellyfish attract larval fish by twitching their extended tentacles, highlighting their stinging structures, and using them as lures.

"This species is small, less than two centimeters across the bell, they're 96 percent water, they lack a defined brain or central nervous system, and yet they're using their tentacles and nematocyst clusters like experienced fishers use their lines and lures," said Robert Courtney, one of the researchers, in a news release. "They're not opportunistically grazing-they're deliberately fishing. They're targeting and catching fish that are at times as big as they are, and are far more complex animals. This is a really neat animal that is displaying a surprisingly complex prey capture strategy."

In order to capture the jellyfish in action, the researchers filmed them through a full day and night cycle, using infrared-sensitive equipment to record behavior during times of almost complete darkness. While during the night the jellyfish were less active, during the day they stretched their tentacles out as long as 1.2 meters and used them like a fishing line.

"The nematocyst clusters look like a series of bright pearls, which the jellyfish twitches to attract the attention of its prey, like a series of fishing lures," said Courtney. "It's a very deliberate and selective form of prey capture."

The findings reveal a bit more about this animal's behavior. This, in turn, may tell researchers a bit more about its distribution and habits.

The findings are published in the journal PLOS One.

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