Marine researchers have discovered a new type of jellyfish that looks more like an alien spaceship than a sea creature.
The almost fake-looking jellyfish was spotted on the Enigma Seamount near the Mariana Trench, 2.3 miles underwater. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) research vessel Okeanos Explorer is collecting data from the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, two areas where little is known about the environment, and made the find.
Researchers believe the jellyfish, which glows red and yellow, belongs to the genus Crossota. After seeing the jellyfish stretch out its tentacles, they also think it is an ambush predator. For the next nine weeks, the Okeanos Explorer will continue to make its way around this mysterious part of the sea, looking for fish, sponges, coral, mud volcanoes, and hydrothermal vent sites.
Agencies/Canadajournal