A deepwater robot, humming through the twilight zone of Monterey Bay, has captured rare video footage of a giant phantom jelly.
The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) has sent out remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) to the deep sea thousands of times, and yet this is only the ninth time they've stumbled upon this cagey crimson creature.
The new footage was able to explore the giant phantom jelly from three different perspectives.
The species' bell can be seen glowing, its translucent body a dark shadow with four long tentacles in the background.
The sunlight has faded at a depth of about 3,200 feet. Any light that does make it so far is not likely to have any warm colors, making the red flesh of the jellyfish look black to any nearby eyes.
The MBARI/YouTube Screenshot is a video.
The jelly is almost like a hat, sitting on a frame with dark robes.
The MBARI/YouTube Screenshot is a video.
The sheer size of the giant becomes even more impressive further away. The phantom jelly's oral arms can be seen behind its bell in this shot.
The MBARI/YouTube Screenshot is a video.
The giant phantom Jelly was first discovered in 1899, and by the year 2009, it had only been spotted on more than 100 times.
Scientists used nets to study the deep sea before ROVs. When a giant phantom Jelly is brought to the surface, it turns into "gelatinous goo".
Underwater robots are some of the best ways to observe these animals and learn more about them.
In 2004, an ROV caught sight of a fish that lived in and out of the shadow of a giant phantom Jelly's shadow. The fish was resting on theJelly.
The authors think the fish and phantom jelly have a relationship that gives the fish shelter in an otherwise shelterless area.
It's not clear how the giant phantom jelly can remain untouched despite being lined with stinging cells to stun prey, or what reward it gets out of its presence.
The diet of the giant phantom jelly is thought to be mostly plankton and small fish, but we still don't know how it survives.
Two reports of the Jelly in the Gulf of Mexico suggest that it may be able to hunt by freeing its arms to grab and trap prey, but that behavior has never been seen before.
Maybe the next time we see a giant phantom jelly, it will be hungry. Who knows when that will happen.
