Stygiomedusa gigantea
Encyclopedia
Stygiomedusa gigantea is a species of giant deep sea jellyfish
in the Ulmaridae
family
.
With only 114 sightings in the last 110 years it is a jellyfish that is rarely seen, but believed to be widespread throughout the world.
It is thought to be one of the largest invertebrate
predators in the deep sea ecosystem
. The jellyfish has an umbrella
-shaped bell that can be up to a metre wide, and has four arms that extend up to six metres in length. These "paddle-like" arms lack stinging tentacles, and scientists are unsure of their exact function.
It has been suggested that they might be used to envelop and trap prey.
On May 19, 2009 scientists filmed a giant Stygiomedusa in its natural deep sea habitat for the first time. Direct observations of these creatures from submersibles are very rare. It has been previously videoed by scientists off the Pacific coast of the US and by ROVs off Japan. However, this is the first time the giant jelly has been recorded in the Gulf of Mexico
.
Jellyfish
Jellyfish are free-swimming members of the phylum Cnidaria. Medusa is another word for jellyfish, and refers to any free-swimming jellyfish stages in the phylum Cnidaria...
in the Ulmaridae
Ulmaridae
Ulmaridae is a family of jellyfish.-Genera:*Aurelia *Aurosa*Deepstaria*Diplulmaris*Discomedusa*Floresca*Parumbrosa*Phacellophora - Phacellophora camtschatica*Poralia...
family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
.
With only 114 sightings in the last 110 years it is a jellyfish that is rarely seen, but believed to be widespread throughout the world.
It is thought to be one of the largest invertebrate
Invertebrate
An invertebrate is an animal without a backbone. The group includes 97% of all animal species – all animals except those in the chordate subphylum Vertebrata .Invertebrates form a paraphyletic group...
predators in the deep sea ecosystem
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
. The jellyfish has an umbrella
Umbrella
An umbrella or parasol is a canopy designed to protect against rain or sunlight. The term parasol usually refers to an item designed to protect from the sun; umbrella refers to a device more suited to protect from rain...
-shaped bell that can be up to a metre wide, and has four arms that extend up to six metres in length. These "paddle-like" arms lack stinging tentacles, and scientists are unsure of their exact function.
It has been suggested that they might be used to envelop and trap prey.
On May 19, 2009 scientists filmed a giant Stygiomedusa in its natural deep sea habitat for the first time. Direct observations of these creatures from submersibles are very rare. It has been previously videoed by scientists off the Pacific coast of the US and by ROVs off Japan. However, this is the first time the giant jelly has been recorded in the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
.
External links
- Natural history : (voyage of the S.S. Discovery under Capt. R.F. Scott) / edited by Jeffrey Bell - Biodiversity Heritage Library
- Stygiomedusa gigantea- Zooplankton of the South Atlantic Ocean Marine Species Identification Portal
- WoRMS taxon details Stygiomedusa gigantea (Browne, 1910)
- Time for some decent service April 25, 2010 iPhylo