I am very interested in finding an aquarium that contains a live
Chironex Fleckeri.  My default position is that "no such aquarium
exists", so unless you can find an aquarium that holds one, please
don't claim "there is no aquarium" as an answer.  I only want to pay
for an answer that is a place where I can see one live in captivity.  
 If there is actually a place where I can see one of these live,
please let me know and claim the cash!
 
note:  I am not interested in dead specimens on display.  however, i
would be happy if you provided such in a comment.

IF YOU CANNOT LOCATE AN AQUARIUM THAT HOLDS ONE OF THESE:

If you are instead able to find an aquarium that is making definitive
plans to hold one of these creatures, that will be good enough to
claim an answer, but I need solid evidence that those plans are
definitive and not just on someone zoologists "wish list".

I truly want to see one of these remarkable lifeforms....i will
actually tailor my vacation around seeing one, if there is any
aquarium in the world holding one...OR an aquarium that has definitive
plans to hold one.

---

Clarification of Question by sirarthur-ga on 05 Apr 2003 15:17 PST

His answer was incomplete because he answered that the Reef Aquarium
has one in captivity when indeed they do not.   The answer was based
upon what another website had said about the Reef aquarium, while the
official website had nothing to say about it.  Therefore a simple
clarification was required by me before I was satisfied that this
aquarium indeed had one, when it turned out they did not have one.  I
just did not want the answer "no one has one" as I clearly stated in
my first post.  Yet since I have seen videos of these creatures I know
that at minimum, they are captured and studied in laboratories and
perhaps some lab that studies these might allow a visitor?  Even an
answer like that is good.  The question is simply this:  "WHERE can I
go to see a live Chironex in captivity"  To satisfy the question, a
location must be given.  If no location is given, I am not satisfied
with the answer.

I apologize for making people do needless work.  But I am serious when
I say I would plan a vacation around going to a location to see one of
these things.  I have studied them for a long time and would love to
see one.

I have written to an aquarium that seems most likely to have it;
indeed, I have seen one indication (from several years ago) that this
aquarium did have it.  I will let you know if I receive a reply.

I don't know if you saw my final comments. I contacted a dozen places
and still only have the one aquarium I had mentioned that really did
have the jellyfish in question, and though they don't have DEFINITE
plans to capture more, it seems to be among their future plans. Not
definite enough to qualify, I know, but that's the best I could do. I
do have some other leads if you are interested, including one place
that has no web site. If the other researcher has no luck and you want
expire this one to repost a similar version as a less expensive
question to cover some of this leg work, that'd be great, but it's up
to you. Again, good luck! Seems like a true passion.
LMNOP-ga

Lmnop -

I do not see another Google Answers question relating to Chironex
Fleckeri.  What comments are you referring to?  What aquariums have
you contacted already?

This information might be useful to other Researchers in trying to
answer this question.

I had posted a long answer that turned out to not quite make the
grade, and the questioner offered to pay a smaller amount for what I
did find. I'll wait a bit to see what turns up by others, I guess.
LMNOP-ga

Hi, justaskscott-ga:

I read lmnop-ga's answer to this question before it was removed and
thought it very interesting.  For the sake of other researchers who
may be trying to improve upon that one, and esp. out of a sense of
fairness to lmnop's work, the gist of it was that the Reef HQ Aquarium
in Townsville (North Queensland), Australia might have these creatures
(variously known as box jellyfish or sea wasps).

There is a picture here that looks a great deal like a small box
jellyfish, but which might be a related species:

http://www.reefhq.org.au/interninfo.html

See here for comparison with a labelled "box jellyfish":

http://www.cairnsholiday.com.au/GreatBarrierReef/box_jellyfish.htm

"Species - Chironex Fleckeri"

There is a feeling that there are actually several species called box
jellyfish by virtue of the distinctive bell shape, and it may be the
customer has a concern that the particular one sought doesn't inhabit
the reefs.  See here:

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/cnidaria/Chironex.html

"Chironex individuals do not inhabit reef environments."

But sirarthur-ga would perhaps be the best one to address what was
deemed less than complete about lmnop-ga's original answer.

regards, mathtalk-ga

if no one answers, i will reduce the question amount (if i can do
that) and allow the first poster to claim it for his work.


otherwise, i'll repost and let hiim claim it for his work.  that
sounds fair to me.  it will be a $10 amount.

The Great Barrier Reff Aquarium.
http://www.aquarium.net/1096/1096_5.shtml