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Irukandji moving south

Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2018 6:14 pm
by Matt Flynn
These things do not sound like much fun ... http://www.news.com.au/technology/scien ... 50274f6ca6

At least you can see box jellyfish.

Re: Irukandji moving south

Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2018 7:03 pm
by ronje
You've gotta take your hat off to Jamie Seymour.

He has arranged to be stung by these nasty little buggers (and other things) so his reactions could be scientifically sampled as well as the pain thresholds endured by the victims. In the photo you'll see he was wired up and then stung. He did a tv program about them. I can recall him saying (with his face screwed up in agony) that if pain from an Irikandji was measured as 10/10 then he'd just hit a 14.

They're here in Cq as are box jellies.

Friend and I were doing recruitiment samples of fish spawnings in the Calliope River with a cast net when he pulled in a couple of tentacles off a box. Still had some kick in them.

A couple of years ago a 14yr schoolkid got hit by a box jelly in the same river (Calliope).

Lucky for her there was a doctor in the campground with his medical kit and bottles of vinegar. Saved her life. Advise people to be wary in/around Calliope R.

These Irikandji seem to like cleaner water and are usually found around the Keppel Is areas. Or now in Hervey Bay on the western side of fraser. From memory, Seymour's people caught about 10 - 15 there a couple of years ago as well.

I think this time a couple were juveniles indicating breeding in the area.

Re: Irukandji moving south

Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2018 7:45 pm
by Matt Flynn
That's interesting Ron. Reading the stories from people stung, they sound truly awful. Someone posted on here not so long ago about the ill effects. Not much of a sting to start with apparently, it hits later.

Re: Irukandji moving south

Posted: Sun Jan 14, 2018 7:15 am
by ronje
I think that the Irakandji is a lesser known or more recently discovered animal.

People used to seek medical assistance for symptoms but could not give any info on what had happened.

So the effect (with no known cause) was given the generic term of syndrome.

By the time that the existence of these little animals that caused it was established, the term syndrome had stuck and was then called Irikandji Syndrome.

"Irakandji" was probably from an indigenous language.

Are these common in the Territory?

Re: Irukandji moving south

Posted: Sun Jan 14, 2018 8:43 am
by nomad
About 25 years ago I met a research scientist who lived on the Low Isles. He was doing tours to supplement his income. During the tour he told us about this recently discovered tiny jellyfish that was deadly.
There have been a few tourists whose deaths have been attributed to heart attacks while diving/snorkelling in FNQ - but I wouldn’t mind betting that they had an encounter with the little buggers.
Unlike the box jelly, these have stingers on their bells.


So it wont be long until they are around Brisbane

Re: Irukandji moving south

Posted: Mon Jan 15, 2018 5:05 am
by ronje
I think there's a bit of confusion in this area about Irikandji.

I think that the part about them liking clean water is right.

Locals tend to associate clean water with the islands just offshore here. So the general conclusion drawn is that these things can be expected around islands and not in closer to beaches.

Whilst I think that's right in this area, I don't think it applies in all areas of the coast.

The muddy/dirty Fitzroy empties into Keppel Bay and produces dirty beaches and inshore water to about 4 nmiles out having clean water at most of the islands.

If the Fitzroy was emptying dirty water into the bay, there'd be clean water in close and little buggers would be in there too. So maybe our dirty old river is producing benefits in different ways protecting the users of the popular beaches by keeping Irikandji at bay (so to speak).

Re: Irukandji moving south

Posted: Mon Jan 15, 2018 11:11 am
by Matt Flynn
I think they have been found in dirty water around Cairns.