A team of scientists from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute has discovered a new species of gelatinous sea creature while on an expedition to the Channel Islands. The team was on a 10-day mission to explore the world of deep-sea jellies, which can include but aren’t limited to jellyfish, that live thousands of feet below the ocean’s surface.

Deep-Sea Expedition

Special equipment, including a remotely operated vehicle along with a camera capable of working in extremely low light, was used to look for animals that make their habitat on or near the ocean floor. Lead scientist Steven Haddock said they had been waiting four years for a new ship to go on the expedition, where they were able to reach depths as low as 3,700 meters or over 12,000 feet to glimpse seemingly alien sea creatures, including jellyfish, glowing sea cucumbers and multiple types of deep-sea predators called siphonophores.

The team collected dozens of specimens, specifically on the hunt for gelatinous sea life, to document differences in these animals as they traveled from colder to warmer waters farther south. One surprise find was a new species of a clear jellyfish-related animal called the Erenna siphonophore. The animal was found about 6,500 feet below the surface of the ocean.

The different species of siphonophores look like long, translucent worms or snakes with dangling bioluminescent tentacles that glow. The reason for the glowing lures is that, compared with waters near the ocean’s surface, in the deep water, there is a lot less prey that these animals will encounter. The glowing lights at the end of the tentacles can draw in prey from a distance, and the siphonophores can nab the animals as they come closer.

Original reporting: 40/29 / KHBS (NW Arkansas) — read the source article.