The research team aboard the Viking Octantis expedition encountered a giant phantom jellyfish, a rare creature that can reach lengths of up to 10 meters.
Giant phantom jellyfish at a depth of 280 meters, near Anvers Island, Antarctica. (Photo: Mark Niesink)
The Viking expedition encountered giant phantom jellyfish (Stygiomedusa gigantean) during their exploration of the waters near the Antarctic Peninsula last year, as reported by IFL Science on February 16. Observations of the creature were presented in a newly published study in the journal Polar Research by the Norwegian Polar Institute.
The research also comments on the new opportunities that personal submersibles, like the ones equipped on the Viking Octantis, bring to biological research. “Through this, we demonstrate that personal submersibles—an increasingly popular tool in the field of exploration—can offer many opportunities for biological research in polar regions,” the research team stated.
“We present direct observations of the rare jellyfish Stygiomedusa gigantean at depths of 80 to 280 meters in the waters near the Antarctic Peninsula as an example of the potential of personal submersibles for the scientific community,” the experts wrote in the study.
Giant phantom jellyfish at a depth of 87 meters, near Rongé Island, Antarctica. (Photo: Antony Gilbert)
As its name suggests, the giant phantom jellyfish can grow up to 10 meters long. Its massive bell (the top part that swells out) can reach up to 1 meter wide, trailing four oral arms for feeding. They are found in oceans worldwide, except for the Arctic Ocean.
However, since the giant phantom jellyfish was named in 1910, the world has recorded only 126 encounters with this species. They are believed to operate from the surface down to depths of 6,665 meters, feeding on plankton and small fish.
