Jellyfish with bright red cross discovered in remote deep-sea volcanic structure

Scientists say they’ve found a brand new species of Medusae — a sort of free-swimming, umbrella-shaped jellyfish. The ocean creature — which was first noticed in 2002 in a deep-sea volcanic construction in ocean waters south of Tokyo, Japan — has a brilliant purple “X” on its abdomen.

The findings have been revealed this previous November within the scientific journal Zootaxa. The researchers named the marine animal “Santjordia pagesi” after the Cross of St. George due to the placing X. The “pagesi” suffix was given in honor of the late Dr. Francesc Pagès, a jellyfish taxonomist.

“The species could be very totally different from all of the deep-sea medusae found up to now,” scientist André Morandini mentioned in a information launch final week from the São Paulo Analysis Basis. “It is comparatively small, whereas others in this sort of surroundings are a lot bigger.”

As for the distinctive purple cross, Morandini mentioned it “most likely has to do with capturing meals.”

S. Pagesi, which has 240 tentacles, was noticed and picked up off Japan’s Ogasawara Islands over twenty years in the past with a remote-operated car — the one method to analysis the inhospitable waters. In 2020, scientists noticed one other specimen of the X-marked marine animal in the identical space, however have been unable to gather it. 

Whereas the invention of a brand new species normally requires the gathering of a couple of creature, this Medusae was given a reputation and outline based mostly on the seize of only one due to how uncommon it’s, Morandini defined. 

“We opted to publish the outline and name consideration to the species which can be current on the website, which has a substrate wealthy in minerals and the potential to be commercially developed,” the scientist mentioned within the information launch. “Sadly, analysis cannot be carried out in such locations with out companions who’ve pursuits of this sort.”