Global InformationStygiomedusa information
| Stygiomedusa | |
|---|---|
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| Picture of Stygiomedusa gigantea surrounded by marine snow. | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Cnidaria |
| Class: | Scyphozoa |
| Order: | Semaeostomeae |
| Family: | Ulmaridae |
| Genus: | Stygiomedusa Russell, 1959 |
| Species: | S. gigantea
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| Binomial name | |
| Stygiomedusa gigantea (Browne, 1910)[1]
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| Synonyms | |
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Stygiomedusa gigantea, commonly known as the giant phantom jelly, is the only species in the monotypic genus of deep sea jellyfish, Stygiomedusa. It is in the Ulmaridae family.[2] With only around 110 sightings in 110 years, it is a jellyfish that is rarely seen, but believed to be widespread throughout the world, with the exception of the Arctic Ocean.[3][4][5]
The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute's remotely operated underwater vehicles have only sighted the jelly 27 times in 27 years. A study conducted by the Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, focusing on four Stygiomedusa gigantea present in the Gulf of Mexico, revealed information regarding the wider distribution of this species. S. gigantea is thought to be one of the largest invertebrate predators in the ecosystem.[3] It is commonly found in the ocean's midnight zone, and twilight zone usually at depths of 6,665 m (21,867 ft).[5]
- ^ "Marine Species Identification Portal : Stygiomedusa gigantea". Species-identification.org. Retrieved 2015-08-19.
- ^ Browne, Edward T. (1907). "Coelentera". In Bell, Jeffrey (ed.). Natural History: Voyage of the S.S. Discovery under Capt. R.F. Scott. Zoology and Botany. Vol. 5. Biodiversity Heritage Library. p. 57. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.18281. OCLC 727233164. Retrieved 2015-08-19.
- ^ a b "Giant deep sea jellyfish filmed". 2010-04-23. Retrieved 2019-03-17.
- ^ Benfield, Mark C.; Graham, William M. (September 2010). "In situ observations of Stygiomedusa gigantea in the Gulf of Mexico with a review of its global distribution and habitat". Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. 90 (6): 1079–1093. Bibcode:2010JMBUK..90.1079B. doi:10.1017/S0025315410000536. S2CID 85342580.
- ^ a b "Giant phantom jelly". MBARI. 29 November 2021.