Scientists amazed after sighting extremely rare jellyfish only seen ONCE before
SWNS
2023-06-11
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A group of scientists were left amazed after the sighting of an extremely rare jellyfish that was only seen ONCE before.
The team of experts spotted the animal during an expedition by the Ocean Exploration Trust, a non-profit dedicated to marine exploration and research.
A video of the sighting shows the bizarre-looking creature slowly making its way through the depths, as the team of experts is left entranced at the sight of it.
One scientist can be heard exclaiming: "Woah! What is that?" as the vehicle they are operating remotely first sights the jellyfish.
Another can be heard saying: "I've never seen anything like that.
"I have no idea what it is."
The animal was sighted on May 31 in the deep and remote Pacific Ocean - 130 miles from the nearest landmark Kingman Reef, itself 4,800 miles away from Australia.
It has only ever been sighted once before, in 2015 on another expedition by The Ocean Exploration Trust and is classed an "undescribed" species.
An undescribed species is one that has yet to receive a name or a detailed description by researchers.
It distinguishes itself from other jellyfish by three long "tentacles" sprouting at an odd angle from the top of its head.
It is also, surprisingly, believed to prey on other jelly-like animals, such as other jellyfish and swimming sea cucumbers using its long tentacles to catch prey.
Dr Dhugal Lindsay, Research Scientist with the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science & Technology, commented on the creature's strange tentacles.
"The imaged individual is trimerous, with only three tentacles.
"This is extremely rare for a jellyfish as they are normally radially splittable into ‘pizza slices’ with even rather than odd numbers.
"They hold the tentacles in front of them as they swim, so that the tentacles come into contact with their large gelatinous prey before the bow wave of the water they "push" before them as they swim reaches it and it senses this water movement and escapes.
"A kind of stealth predation so-to-speak."
The jellyfish is believed to be part of the Bathykorus genus, but does not match any other species of this kind due to its brown colour.
Dr Lindsay added: "We are assuming it eats bioluminescent prey because the body coloration would mask any light being emitted by the prey as it struggles under the bell or is digested within the stomach.
"It is really only a guess though."
The Ocean Exploration Trust has further information and free live streams of their expeditions at www.nautilus.live.com.
The team of experts spotted the animal during an expedition by the Ocean Exploration Trust, a non-profit dedicated to marine exploration and research.
A video of the sighting shows the bizarre-looking creature slowly making its way through the depths, as the team of experts is left entranced at the sight of it.
One scientist can be heard exclaiming: "Woah! What is that?" as the vehicle they are operating remotely first sights the jellyfish.
Another can be heard saying: "I've never seen anything like that.
"I have no idea what it is."
The animal was sighted on May 31 in the deep and remote Pacific Ocean - 130 miles from the nearest landmark Kingman Reef, itself 4,800 miles away from Australia.
It has only ever been sighted once before, in 2015 on another expedition by The Ocean Exploration Trust and is classed an "undescribed" species.
An undescribed species is one that has yet to receive a name or a detailed description by researchers.
It distinguishes itself from other jellyfish by three long "tentacles" sprouting at an odd angle from the top of its head.
It is also, surprisingly, believed to prey on other jelly-like animals, such as other jellyfish and swimming sea cucumbers using its long tentacles to catch prey.
Dr Dhugal Lindsay, Research Scientist with the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science & Technology, commented on the creature's strange tentacles.
"The imaged individual is trimerous, with only three tentacles.
"This is extremely rare for a jellyfish as they are normally radially splittable into ‘pizza slices’ with even rather than odd numbers.
"They hold the tentacles in front of them as they swim, so that the tentacles come into contact with their large gelatinous prey before the bow wave of the water they "push" before them as they swim reaches it and it senses this water movement and escapes.
"A kind of stealth predation so-to-speak."
The jellyfish is believed to be part of the Bathykorus genus, but does not match any other species of this kind due to its brown colour.
Dr Lindsay added: "We are assuming it eats bioluminescent prey because the body coloration would mask any light being emitted by the prey as it struggles under the bell or is digested within the stomach.
"It is really only a guess though."
The Ocean Exploration Trust has further information and free live streams of their expeditions at www.nautilus.live.com.
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