'Flying Saucer' Jellyfish Spotted in Pacific Ocean

Image credit: NOAA's Okeanos Explorer (Public Domain)

A team of marine biologists aboard the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Okeanos Explorer captured footage of this amazing 'flying saucer' jellyfish while exploring a volcanic crater in a previously unexplored seamount of the American Samoa Exclusive Economic Zone on February 21st.

The jellyfish, called rhopalonematid trachymedusa, lives at 3,000 meters below the surface, and possesses several unusual physical qualities--including two sets of tentacles, and translucent skin that shows their reproductive organs and digestive system.  The evolutionary purpose behind these traits is currently unknown.  

A jellyfish was filmed near a previously unexplored seamount by NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer on 21 February 2017. The jellyfish's reproductive organs are bright yellow while the digestive system appears red. Tentatively called "Utu", the seamount is located in the northern region of the American Samoa Exclusive Economic Zone.