A novel ON-OFF micelle-based fluorescent chemosensor for Cu2+ ions was prepared through the micellar self-assembling in water solutions with p-tert-butylthiacalix［4］arene (TCA) as receptor, perylene as fluorophore and Sodium dodecylbenzenesulphonate (SDBS) as self-assembling template. Several effecting factors, such as the quantities of the receptor TCA, the concentrations of the self-assembling template SDBS, the concentrations of the Cu2+ ions and the co-current metal ions, were investigated for the systematical investigation on the detecting capabilities of the micelle-based fluorescent chemosensor for Cu2+ ions through measuring the quenching of the fluorescent emission of the fluorophore. As the results indicated, when the molar concentration ratio value of the receptor TCA to the fluorophore was equal to 1　000 and the concentrations of the self-assembling template SDBS reached 50 mmol·L-1, the Cu2+ ions could be detected preferably by the prepared micelle-based fluorescent chemosensor. The concentrations of the Cu2+ ions could be almost linearly measured according to the quenching ratios of the fluorescent emission in a certain range of concentration. Furthermore, the detecting capabilities of the micelle-based fluorescent chemosensor for the Cu2+ ions were almost not influenced by the co-existing metal ions such as Pb2+, Cd2+, Mn2+, Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Al3+, Ni2+ and Zn2+ ions. The selective detecting capabilities of the obtained micelle-based fluorescent chemosensor for the Cu2+ ions could be mainly attributed to the recognition of the receptor TCA in the surfactant micelle with the Cu2+ ions, and the quenching of the fluorescent emission of the fluorophore was estimated to be based on an intramicellar electron-transfer or energy-transfer mechanism.