On the beach in the Australian state of Queensland, a bright creature with long tentacles was found, which puzzled marine experts: scientists identified it as a jellyfish, but could not identify the species.
According to The Guardian, on Wednesday, May 21, rescuers found a strange creature of unusually bright color on the coast of the Australian state of Queensland and handed it over to scientists. After examining the mysterious ocean dweller, experts came to the conclusion that there is a jellyfish in front of them, but they could not determine what species it belongs to.
This is the second jellyfish of this new species found in recent years on the beaches of Australia. The photos below were taken in 2008.
“This creation amazed us - it was like it came out of science fiction,” says marine biologist Lisa Gershwin of the CSIRO. "The animal was electric, alive, and so purple it was just wow, and its tentacles, about a meter long, were covered in microscopic mouths."
According to Gershwin, the bright creature is very similar to the mosaic jellyfish (Thysanostoma thysanura), but the color of the representatives of this species is completely different - brown or beige.
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“We have not yet been able to determine the species of this animal, but perhaps it belongs to the mosaic jellyfish, which are very rare to see in Australian waters, and even more so off the southeastern coast of Queensland, as they live mainly in warm tropical waters. We believe that the purple jellyfish could have entered Australia along with the ballast water of tankers from Malaysia or the Philippines,”she says.
The marine biologist also noted that the creature's unusual coloration with multiple mouths is likely a warning sign.
“It’s like she’s warning me not to mess with me,” Gershwin explains. "Although I don't think her bite is a serious threat."
Later, experts admitted that a jellyfish unknown to science died during the tests, but stressed that they did not intend to stop their research.
“I hope that studying under a microscope will answer all our questions and explain why no one has seen this creation before,” concluded the biologist.