Eerie new jellyfish found in deepest part of ocean

Wednesday, May 18, 2016, 12:47 PM - Scientists from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently spotted an eerie UFO-like jellyfish while probing the Mariana Trench -- deepest part of the world’s oceans.

The stunning sea creature was caught on camera during Dive 4 of NOAA’s 2016 Deepwater Exploration of the Marianas, at a depth of approximately 3,700 metres.

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The expedition takes NOAA’s Okeanos Explorer to a place known as the “Enigmatic Seamount,” an underwater mountain range. From April 20 to July 10, 2016, NOAA and partners are venturing into areas in and around the Mariana Trench – the deepest part of the earth’s oceans.

"Scientists identified this hydromedusa as belonging to the genus Crossota," NOAA reported on the administration’s official website.

By observing the posture and spider-like tentacle movements of the jellyfish, researchers concluded that it’s likely an ambush predator awaiting prey to cross its path.

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The main goal of the expedition is to find baseline data in the deep-water range to support scientific needs, and to better understand eco-diversity and distribution of deep-water habitats in and around the Mariana’s Trench National Monument and the Northern Mariana Islands.

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SOURCE: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | Scientific American

All images and video courtesy of NOAA.