Strange Sea Creature caught on film

I know little to nothing about this video, just found it posted on Twitter. Couldn't see it already posted in this forum so thought I'd leave it here for you folks to see.



At first it looks like a jellyfish of some kind. But about halfway through the video it looks like different. One of the comments suggested "Whale placenta", but I'm sure that you can see "innards" at some points in the video.

Then again, I know nothing about sea life, whale placentas, or jellyfish, so it'll be interesting if this has already been explained.

It's an scyphomedusa deepstaria

Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute explained what this mystery ocean ghost like creature was in this popular undersea video. It’s a jelly called the scyphomedusa Deepstaria, which was named after the deep star sub that discovered it in 1966. Watch the first video, and then the second and if you want more, read more proof by the scientists of Deep Sea News.

deepseanews.com...

Imperfectly known, many specimens damaged. Two nominal species, information from both combined here based on Russell (1967), Larson (1986), Larson et al. (1988). Bell remarkably thin, broad, delicate, a rather flat inverted bowl when relaxed; up to ca. 60 cm diameter; mesoglea 1-2 cm thick, tapering towards edge; flexing down in "pursing" manner, margin closing to enclose large subumbrellar volume. Rhopalia reported 8 to ca. 20, number perhaps increasing during growth; rhopalar lappets minute to prominent, rectangular with circular ends. Marginal lappets not recorded, apparently very shallow or entirely lacking. Marginal tentacles lacking. Subumbrellar musculature diffuse, probably extending over entire subumbrella. Coronal muscle well developed (but thin) comprising large number of circular, striated muscle fibres near bell margin; distal portion of muscle bending over toward subumbrella. Numerous fibres extending from coronal muscle to subumbrella. Stomach small, about 1/6 of total bell diameter, circular; protruding beneath subumbrella as short, thick-walled manubrial tube; oral arms 4-5, narrow, elongate, basal 1/3 held approximately horizontally, with near right-angled bend and remainder hanging down, terminating in curious hook-shaped organ. Base of each has on each side a "plaque" in which are numerous pits containing the gastric cirri, 3-10 mm long, up to 8 per pit. Gastrovascular canals fine, somewhat irregular-edged, forming reticulate network across most of bell, anastomoses more numerous closer to periphery; the spaces in the meshwork elongate, aligned radially. Radial canals 8 to ca. 20, both rhopalar and (? when >8) inter-rhopalar reported as discernible in some, but not in all, specimens, approximately twice width of those in main canal meshwork, running somewhat tortuously from stomach to a peripheral ring canal; ring canal noted as communicating with meshwork canals at broad intervals. Gonads reportedly 4-5, seen in only a few specimens, short-stalked and lobed, attached near base of oral arms.

Whatever that thing is, it's surely never going to win any beauty contest. What a gross critter.

reply to post by beatbox


Thanks for the detailed explanation. We might know what it is, but still I hope I never meet one of those in a dark alley (not too likely I suppose)

Originally posted by H1ght3chHippie
Whatever that thing is, it's surely never going to win any beauty contest. What a gross critter.

Haha. Anything that may be confused with a placenta of any type doesn't stand a chance in a beauty contest.

Originally posted by chebob
Couldn't see it already posted in this forum

It was posted multiple times two months ago, but the main thread is here:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

It looks like a king sized, leopard print, silk sheet that learned to swim...