Giant phantom jelly facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Giant phantom jelly |
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The Stygiomedusa is a type of huge jellyfish that lives deep in the ocean. It's also known as the Giant Phantom Jellyfish. There's only one known species in this group, called Stygiomedusa gigantea.
This amazing jellyfish is very rarely seen. In over 110 years, it has only been spotted about 115 times! Even though it's hard to find, scientists believe it lives all over the world in deep waters. It's thought to be one of the biggest animals without a backbone that hunts other creatures in the deep sea.
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About the Giant Phantom Jellyfish
What Does It Look Like?
The Giant Phantom Jellyfish has a bell that looks like an umbrella. This bell can be as wide as one metre, which is about the size of a large bicycle wheel! It also has four long, thick arms that can stretch up to 10 metres. That's longer than a school bus!
These arms are special because they don't have stinging tentacles like many other jellyfish. Instead, scientists think the jellyfish uses these paddle-like arms to trap its food.
Where Does It Live?
Scientists have seen and filmed the Giant Phantom Jellyfish in different parts of the world. It has been spotted off the Pacific coast of the United States. It has also been filmed by special underwater robots, called ROVs, near Japan and in the Gulf of Mexico. This shows it lives in many deep ocean areas around the globe.
Friends in the Deep?
Sometimes, the Giant Phantom Jellyfish shares its home with a special kind of fish called Thalassobathia pelagica. Scientists have found evidence that these two creatures might have a special partnership. This kind of partnership, where different species help each other, is called a symbiotic relationship. It's like having a friend in the deep sea!
Videos
- Rare monster jellyfish caught on tape – Discovery Channel
See also
In Spanish: Stygiomedusa para niños
