Watch: New rare species of crown jellyfish found in Monterey Bay by scientists in US
Atolla reynoldsi, a new rare species of crown jellyfish, has been found by scientists.
In Monterey Bay area of the US, a new rare species of crown jellyfish has been found by scientists.
What is special about it is that it looks like a scarlet alien saucer.
The new species, which has blood red colour, is called Atolla reynoldsi. It measures around 5 inches (13 centimeters) in diameter, reports said.
“This jellyfish can also have 26 to 39 tentacles," said researchers with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI). This species has a deep groove around its central bell, which looks like a domed head with a frilly red crown.
Atolla reynoldsi seems to be largest of the known species of the Atolla genus, the scientists said.
It also lacks a single elongate tentacle, which is present in other species of crown jellyfish.
Researchers have identified this species in a new study, which was published in the journal ‘Animals’ last month.
It has been spotted in ‘sunless’ region of Monterey Bay at depths of 3,323 to 10,463 feet (1,013 to 3,189 m) till now.
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In a statement, George Matsumoto, senior education and research specialist at MBARI and lead author of the study, said, "These remarkable new jellies underscore how much we still have to learn about the deep sea. On just about every dive into the depths of Monterey Bay, we learn something new."
This species was spotted while analysing thousands of hours of footage, which was taken in Monterey Bay's midnight zone from April 2006 to June 2021.
After much research, the scientists found that the species is "molecularly and morphologically distinct" from other species in the genus.
(With inputs from agencies)