Chrysaora africana

{{Short description|Species of jellyfish}}

{{Italic title}}

{{Speciesbox

| image =

| genus = Chrysaora

| species = africana

| authority = (Vanhöffen, 1902)Vanhöffen, E. (1902). [https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/1094117 Die Craspedoten Medusen der deutschen Tiefsee Expedition 1898-1899. I. Trachymedusen.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180415094400/https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/1094117 |date=2018-04-15 }} Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse der Deutschen Tiefsee Expedition. 3: 55-86, pls 1-12.

| synonyms = {{species list

| Dactylometra africana

| Vanhöffen, 1902

}}

}}

Chrysaora africana, the purple compass jelly or Southern African Sea Nettle, is a species of jellyfish from the family Pelagiidae.{{Cite web|url=http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=292504|title=WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Chrysaora africana (Vanhöffen, 1902)|website=www.marinespecies.org|language=en|access-date=2018-01-24|archive-date=2018-01-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180122001109/http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=292504|url-status=live}}{{cite web | author1=Lewis, K. | author2=Bowen, D. | date=6 December 2018 | title=Why are Cape Town's beaches being covered in jellyfish? | url=https://www.aquarium.co.za/blog/entry/why-are-cape-towns-beaches-being-covered-in-washed-up-jellyfish | publisher=Two Oceans Aquarium | accessdate=15 June 2019 | archive-date=2 May 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190502181706/https://www.aquarium.co.za/blog/entry/why-are-cape-towns-beaches-being-covered-in-washed-up-jellyfish | url-status=live }} Found in the southeastern Atlantic Ocean from Gabon to the western coast of South Africa (although uncommon in the far south of its range), its taxonomy has historically caused considerable confusion.{{citation | author=Ras, Verena | year=2017 | title=Towards an unravelling of the taxonomy of Chrysaora (Scyphozoa; Semaeostomeae; Pelagiidae) from around South Africa | publisher=University of the Western Cape }}{{Cite journal | last1=Gaffney | first1=Patrick M. | last2=Collins | first2=Allen G. | last3=Bayha | first3=Keith M. | year=2017 | title=Multigene phylogeny of the scyphozoan jellyfish family Pelagiidae reveals that the common U.S. Atlantic sea nettle comprises two distinct species (Chrysaora quinquecirrha and C. chesapeakei) | journal=PeerJ | volume=5 | page=e3863 | doi=10.7717/peerj.3863 | pmid=29043109 | pmc=5642265|issn=2167-8359 | doi-access=free }} Like other sea nettles, its sting is painful, but not generally dangerous unless there is an allergic reaction to the venom.