Figure: Distribution of carybdeid box jellyfish. (a) Hypothesized global range of selected species; (b–c) confirmed records from Batangas and Mindoro, Philippines.

A new study co-authored by IESM faculty member Dr. Lemnuel V. Aragones and alumna Russel Christine B. Corcino has expanded our understanding of the country’s marine biodiversity, documenting new and first records of box jellyfish species (Carybdeids) in the Philippines.

Published in Thalassas: An International Journal of Marine Sciences, the paper reports the first confirmed presence of Irukandji-type jellyfish — including Alatina alata, Carybdea cuboides, Malo sp., and Morbakka virulenta—along with new records of Malo filipina and Copula sivickisi within Philippine waters.

Figure: Carybdea cuboides, recorded for the first time in the Philippines from Puerto Galera, Mindoro. This box jellyfish shows distinctive features compared with related species from Australia and Hawaii. (Images by C. Ceresi, D. S. Muirhead, and D. Rolla.)

Through a combination of high-resolution underwater imaging and citizen science, the team validated sightings across Batangas, Aurora, Mindoro, and other sites within the Coral Triangle. These discoveries not only enrich marine biodiversity data but also have implications for marine ecology, tourism, and public health, given the potential of some species to cause the painful Irukandji syndrome.

Reference:
Boco, S. R., Corcino, R. C. B., Capidos, C. G. G., Sucharitakul, P., Yoro, R., Corpuz, D., Tuason, S., & Aragones, L. V. (2025). New and First Records of Carybdeids Including Irukandji Box Jellyfish (Cnidaria: Cubozoa; Carybdeida) in the Coral Triangle (the Philippines). Thalassas: An International Journal of Marine Sciences, 41(4), 212. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41208-025-00970-9