New distributional records and biometric characterization of two box jellyfish, Chiropsoides buitendijki (Van der horst, 1907) and Alatina alata (Reynaud, 1830), from Palk Bay, southeast coast of India

Thirumalaiselvan, S and Saravanan, Raju and Rajkumar, M and Vinod, K (2026) New distributional records and biometric characterization of two box jellyfish, Chiropsoides buitendijki (Van der horst, 1907) and Alatina alata (Reynaud, 1830), from Palk Bay, southeast coast of India. National Academy Science Letters. pp. 1-8. ISSN 2250-1754

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Abstract

The present study reports the New distributional records of two cubozoan box jellyfish species, Chiropsoides buitendijki (Van der Horst, 1907) and Alatina alata (Reynaud, 1830), in the coastal waters of Palk Bay, southeast India. Specimens were collected from shore seine landings during June to September 2023 and examined for morphometric traits and length–weight relationships. C. buitendijki displayed bell diameters of 65–210 mm and weights of 11–119 g, while A. alata showed diameters of 152–162 mm and weights of 36–40 g. Both species exhibited negative allometric growth (b < 3) with strong correlations between bell diameter and body weight (R2 > 0.93). These findings provide new baseline biometric data for cubozoans in Indian waters and emphasize their ecological and public health importance, given recent sting cases in the region. Continued monitoring and awareness initiatives are recommended to mitigate risks associated with box jellyfish in Palk Bay.

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