'Undescribed species' of crimson red jellyfish spotted by explorers, watch video

While most jellyfishes are transparent, some display vibrant hues like luminous pink, yellow, and purple amongst others. Marking the latest addition to the list, a team of ocean explorers have discovered a crimson red jellyfish floating over 2,500 feet below the surface. The ‘previously undiscovered’ species was found by researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) aboard the Okeanos, an explorer ship operating as a part of the 2021 North Atlantic Stepping Stones expedition.

'Maybe an undescribed species'

According to the NOAA team, the jellyfish belongs to the genus Poralia. In a report detailing their dive underwater, the team further asserted that they found a total of 650 different creatures, many of which were jellyfish. Later, they shared short footage which featured the newly discovered marine creature.

This beautiful red jellyfish in the genus Poralia may be an undescribed species. It was one of several unknown animals encountered during the last #Okeanos water column dive," NOAA said.

Meanwhile, the clip has left the internet world with awe and wonder. Not only has it flabbergasted people by the marine creature's spectacular colour but also intrigued them about its characteristics. "That’s really cool!!," wrote a user. "I'm fascinated by jellyfish," added another. "Beautifully amazing," read a third comment. 

Jellyfish are the most ubiquitous species and they are most feared as their stings can range from mildly uncomfortable to extremely painful of all the creatures found in the ocean and seas. But there is no reason to fear the jellyfish in Tojoman Lagoon, which is in the southeastern Philippines. The lagoon is one of the only few places on Earth where one can find “stingless” jellyfish. 

Mark Roa, who operates Siargao tours in partnership with travel booking platform Klook, was quoted by CNN as saying that the lagoon is filled with so many stingless jellyfish, that one can actually touch the marine creatures without fearing their foreboding tentacles and venomous stings. 

(Image: NOAAOceanExploration/Instagram)