Scientists say they’ve discovered a unused species of Medusae — a kind of free-swimming, umbrella-shaped jellyfish. The ocean creature — which was once first noticed in 2002 in a deep-sea volcanic construction in ocean waters south of Tokyo, Japan — has a glorious crimson “X” on its abdomen.
The findings had been revealed this era November within the clinical magazine Zootaxa. The researchers named the marine animal “Santjordia pagesi” later the Pass of St. George on account of the hanging X. The “pagesi” suffix was once given in honor of the past due Dr. Francesc Pagès, a jellyfish taxonomist.
“The species is very different from all the deep-sea medusae discovered to date,” scientist André Morandini mentioned in a information let fall terminating presen from the São Paulo Research Foundation. “It’s relatively small, whereas others in this kind of environment are much larger.”
As for the original crimson go, Morandini mentioned it “probably has to do with capturing food.”
S. Pagesi, which has 240 tentacles, was once noticed and picked up off Japan’s Ogasawara Islands over two decades in the past with a remote-operated automobile — the one solution to analysis the inhospitable waters. In 2020, scientists noticed some other specimen of the X-marked marine animal in the similar segment, however had been not able to bind it.
Future the invention of a unused species generally calls for the number of a couple of creature, this Medusae was once given a reputation and outline in accordance with the seize of only one on account of how uncommon it’s, Morandini defined.
“We opted to publish the description and call attention to the species that are present at the site, which has a substrate rich in minerals and the potential to be commercially developed,” the scientist mentioned within the information let fall. “Unfortunately, research can’t be conducted in such places without partners who have interests of this kind.”