Deepstaria Enigmatica, a rarely seen, very large, and strange-looking jellyfish, has been recently caught on film.
Judging by the numbers on the video, it appears to have been filmed at a depth of around 5,045 feet.
“This bag-like jelly is not that rare, but is large, so rarely seen intact. This type of jellyfish is usually found in the south Atlantic Ocean, some 5,000 feet below,” according to Steven Haddock, a scientist, on the “JellyWatch” Facebook page.
First scientifically described in 1966 by F.S. Russel, the abstract of his paper reads, “A new scyphomedusan is described which was collected on a dive by U.S. research submersible Deepstar 4000 at 723 m. in the San Diego Trough. The specimen was incomplete. It is characterized by a gastro-vascular canal system in the form of a uniform network, and by the unusual form of its gonads. Its systematic position is uncertain. The medusa jellyfish is named Deepstaria Enigmatica gen.nov., sp.nov.”
Apparently, it moves around by sending waves through its body. The mesh pattern on its body is the ‘gastro-vascular canal system’ mentioned in the abstract, a stomach and circulatory system in one. While the white structures appear to be the gonads.
Here’s the video below. Enjoy.
Source: National Marine Biological Library and RT
Image Credits: Seawater via Shutterstock & screenshot of video above