In One Ear: Phantom jelly

Published 12:15 am Thursday, January 6, 2022

Scientists from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, while piloting a remote submarine, encountered and filmed an eerie and rare find in the depths of Monterey Bay, California — a rare crimson giant phantom jellyfish (Stygiomedusa gigantea), cruising slowly along at 3,200 feet, SmithsonianMag.com reports.

Since the tentacles (used to trap prey and bring it to the mouth) can reach up to 33 feet long, and the bell can be up to three feet wide, it’s also one of the largest jellyfish on the planet. Normally they call the “midnight zone” home, at a depth of about 22,000 feet, where it’s pitch black, the water pressure reaches up to 5,800 pounds per square inch, and giant squid are also known to lurk.

Discovered by scientists in 1899, the giant phantom jellyfish has only been observed about 100 times, despite their gargantuan size; researchers at the institute have documented around nine sightings in the wild. (Screen shot courtesy of Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute)