Tiburonia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tiburonia |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Cnidaria |
| Class: | Scyphozoa |
| Order: | Semaeostomeae |
| Family: | Ulmaridae |
| Subfamily: | Tiburoniinae Matsumoto et al., 2003 |
| Genus: | Tiburonia Matsumoto et al., 2003 |
| Species: |
T. granrojo
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| Tiburonia granrojo Matsumoto et al., 2003
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The Tiburonia granrojo is a very special type of jellyfish. It is also known as the Big Red Jellyfish. Scientists first learned about it in 2003. This happened after a team found its only known species. This amazing creature was discovered by a crew from the MBARI. The team was led by a scientist named George Matsumoto.
This discovery was very important. It led to finding a brand new species. It also helped scientists create a new group of jellyfish called Tiburoniinae. The name Tiburonia comes from the special underwater robot (called an ROV) that found it. This robot was named Tiburon, which means "shark" in Spanish. The robot's amazing movements helped scientists see the jellyfish from all sides. This was very helpful for studying this soft, deep-sea animal. The jellyfish's species name, granrojo, means "big red" in Spanish.
Contents
What is the Big Red Jellyfish?
The Tiburonia granrojo is one of the largest jellyfish in the ocean. It is also quite unusual.
Size and Appearance
- This jellyfish can grow very big. It can be up to 76 centimetres (30 in) (about 30 inches) wide. That's almost as wide as a bicycle wheel!
- Unlike most jellyfish, it does not have long, stringy tentacles. Instead, it has 4 to 7 thick, fleshy "oral arms." These arms are used for feeding.
- The entire jellyfish is a deep, bright red color. This color helps it blend in with the dark deep-sea environment.
Where Does It Live?
The Big Red Jellyfish lives very deep in the ocean.
- It can be found at depths from 600 to 1,500 metres (2,000 to 4,900 ft) (about 2,000 to 5,000 feet) below the surface.
- Scientists have found it in different parts of the Pacific Ocean. These places include the Gulf of California, Monterey Bay in California, Hawaii, and near Japan.
- It lives in very cold water, usually between 2.7 and 4.9 degrees Celsius (about 37 to 41 degrees Fahrenheit).
- The water it lives in has a certain amount of salt and oxygen.
How Was It Discovered?
Scientists have not found many of these jellyfish.
- So far, only 23 of these jellyfish have been seen.
- Only one small jellyfish, less than 15 centimetres (6 in) (about 6 inches) wide, has been brought up for study.
- Scientists have used remote-controlled submarines to take many clear videos of the granrojo in its natural home.
The discovery of this amazing jellyfish was announced in 2003. Dr. Matsumoto and his team shared their findings. The very first jellyfish specimen was found near the Japan trench. It is now kept at the National Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo, Japan.
See also
In Spanish: Tiburonia granrojo para niños
