SWIMMING, FEEDING, CIRCULATION AND VISION IN THE AUSTRALIAN BOX JELLYFISH, CHIROAEX FLECKERI (CNIDARIA, CUBOZOA)

Juvenile Chironex fleckeri medusae were maintained in aquaria for seve ral months, One individual was raised over a nine-month period to suba dult condition for the first time. The medusae did not feed naturally in most aquaria but they accepted and digested prey items placed by ha nd onto the manubrium. Medusae maintained in planktonkreisels, however , extended tentacles and captured and ingested live Acetes, large praw ns and fish by subumbrellar flexing of the pedalia. Digestion of prey was rapid and food particles were circulated directionally through fun ctional canals and lacunae primarily by contractions of the bell but a lso by peristaltic contractions of interradial gastrovascular tissues. In the laboratory, medusae visually reacted to dark objects by swimmi ng away from them. Swimming behaviour of medusae in the sea and natura l predation by green turtles (Chelonia mydas) on C. fleckeri are descr ibed.