Giant Phantom Jellyfish Latest News
Scientists on a month-long deep-sea expedition off Argentina’s coast documented a rare giant phantom jellyfish recently.
About Giant Phantom Jellyfish
- It is a rare and mysterious deep-sea jellyfish known for its ghostly, translucent appearance.
- It is among the largest jellyfish.
- Scientific Name: Stygiomedusa gigantea
- It is in the Ulmaridae family.
- It is believed to be widespread throughout the world’s oceans, except in the Arctic Ocean.
- Unlike most jellyfish, it lacks tentacles. Instead, they use ribbon-like arms to grab prey, typically plankton or small fish, and pull them into their mouths.
- This mauve-coloured jellyfish can grow to a colossal size: the bell can be more than one metre (3.3 feet) across, and the animal's four ribbon-like 'oral arms' can reach lengths of more than 10 metres (33 feet).
- But despite their massive size, the elusive creatures have been spotted only about 120 times since the first specimen was collected in 1899.
- That’s because they prefer to lurk in the “midnight zone,” a part of the ocean ranging from 3,300 to 13,100 feet deep, that is shrouded in complete darkness.
- Their bodies being made of either spongy tissue or jelly allows the species to withstand the enormous deep ocean pressure of 40,000 kPa (5,800 pounds per square inch).
Source: NDTV
Giant Phantom Jellyfish FAQs
Q1: What is the Giant Phantom Jellyfish?
Ans: It is a rare deep-sea jellyfish known for its ghostly, translucent appearance.
Q2: Why is the Giant Phantom Jellyfish considered one of the largest jellyfish?
Ans: Because its bell can exceed one metre in diameter and its oral arms can grow over 10 metres long.
Q3: Does the Giant Phantom Jellyfish have tentacles like most jellyfish?
Ans: No, it lacks tentacles.
Q4: How does the Giant Phantom Jellyfish capture its prey?
Ans: By using ribbon-like oral arms to grab prey and pull it into its mouth.
