Mystery jellyfish has stinging warts, extra tentacles, NOAA says. Is it a new species?

A new type of red jellyfish may have been discovered off the East Coast, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says a big clue was more tentacles than expected for the genus.

That’s rather intimidating news, given tentacles are where the dreaded stingers are located on jellyfish.

NOAA didn’t say how many tentacles it saw, but researchers noted the graceful creature had “warts” capable of stings on the outside of its bell.

It was recorded July 28 at a depth of 2,297 feet during NOAA Ocean Exploration’s 2021 North Atlantic Stepping Stones expedition off the mid-Atlantic states.

The jellyfish belongs to the genus Poralia, and there is only one other “described” member of that genus (Poralia rufescens), NOAA told McClatchy News.

“It appears that the jellyfish in the video ... has many more tentacles than seen in the described Poralia rufescens, leading scientists to believe the jellyfish ... is an undescribed species,” NOAA said.

“The jellyfish ... also seemed to have nematocyst warts on the exumbrella (the upper part or outside of the jellyfish’s bell) that probably function both for defense but also to trap prey. The radial canals of this genus often branch randomly, which is not usual for other related jellyfish.”

Researchers were not able to get a size estimate for the jellyfish, NOAA said.

The team used a remotely operated vehicle fitted with cameras during the dives, and robotic arms were used to collect samples from the seafloor.

Jellyfish are notorious for terrorizing swimmers with painful stings, but NOAA Ocean Service sees them as “fascinating, elegant, and mysterious.”

“Lacking brains, blood, or even hearts, jellyfish are pretty simple critters,” NOAA says. “Jellyfish have the ability to sting with their tentacles. While the severity of stings varies, in humans, most jellyfish stings result only in minor discomfort.”

The jellyfish was seen on the final dive of the expedition, which explored the water column above Hydrographer Canyon, off the coast of New Jersey. The team reported seeing 650 creatures during the dive, from arrow worms to fish.

This story was originally published August 11, 2021 at 10:06 AM with the headline "Mystery jellyfish has stinging warts, extra tentacles, NOAA says. Is it a new species?."