The scyphomedusa Deepstaria

The scyphomedusa Deepstaria is certainly odd, with its bag-like appearance, and bell that can open more than a meter wide. Speculation on the identity of a mystery blob has become a YouTube sensation, sparking heated and entertaining debates over its identity. That video of Deepstaria reticulum (described by Larson, et al., in 1988) looks especially unusual because the medusa is being blown around by the thrusters of the Remotely Operated Vehicle, and eventually turns completely inside-out.

In this video, we show some more natural-looking specimens of Deepstaria reticulum and Deepstaria enigmatica, along with other related species from the deep sea. More information about the video and excerpts from scientific papers about Deepstaria can be found at the Deep-Sea News blog http://deepseanews.com/2012/05/solvin...

Visit www.mbari.org for more information about our deep-sea research, and www.jellywatch.org whenever you see a strange jellyfish.