Huge Jellyfish Is Extremely Rare, Nightmare Fuel

This publish may go a couple of methods. I may begin by saying, wow, the ocean is unimaginable. Or maybe I may begin by saying I hope you didn’t plan to sleep tonight. That’s as a result of the large phantom jelly captured by Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute is a little bit of a Rorschach check, one that may encourage awe and terror as a result of, properly, I imply have a look at it.

We can begin out with factors in favor of the large phantom jellyfish being a cool-ass jelly. The large phantom jelly has been seen within the wild about 100 instances because it was first found by people in 1899. This is the ninth encounter MBARI researchers have had with it regardless of doing hundreds of dives utilizing a remote-operated car.

That’s a formidable observe document of stealth on condition that it lives in each ocean basin save the Arctic. Of course, that is additionally trigger for terror. For all I do know, this jellyfish could drag me off into the deep subsequent time I go to Coney Island.

Wait, sorry I’m getting away from myself. Cool details, cool details, cool details. Right. OK. So this jellyfish additionally lives in what’s often known as the “midnight zone,” a location within the water column that’s not fairly the twilight zone or the abyss. That’s a candy spot between 3,300 and 13,000 toes (1,000 to 4,000 meters) under the floor. No daylight reaches this depth of the ocean, which is frankly terrifying to think about within the context of a ghostly jellyfish at a depth of the ocean the place no person may hear you scream as you dragged into the murky depths.

Dammit, I did it once more. My focus is often higher than this. We’re getting this again on observe with wonderful jelly details. The large phantom jellyfish lives as much as the primary a part of its identify. We’re speaking 10-foot (3-meter) tentacles and a 3-foot (1-meter) bell. That’s not lion’s mane jelly huge, what with their 120-foot (37-meter) tangle of tentacles.

But then, a plume of 10-foot tentacles that appear to be strips of paper is ample sufficient to envelop the physique of a person whereas a 3-foot bell may simply maintain a human head, slowly devouring the flesh till solely the bones are left to float into the abyss the place weird creatures would choose them over to seize what little sustenance stays.

My apologies, I actually don’t know why that is so laborious for me. As somebody who loves nature, this ought to be straightforward. Piece of cake, actually. MBARI researchers have noticed fish swimming close to the jelly. Which, OK, see. That’s good! The midnight zone provides little cowl for sea creatures. The large phantom jellyfish provides a type of cowl, permitting smaller fish to cover from bigger predators. In 2003, MBARI’s ROV captured footage of an eel-like fish often known as the brotula with, researchers wrote, “its belly against the jelly.” What an extremely cute flip of phrase.

We’re on a roll. Let’s see what else we received. Ah sure, the large phantom jelly’s arms act like a mouth. OK, sorry that’s simply straight-up the plot of a horror film. I’m out.