With tentacles extended in all directions, the Rhopalonematid jelly Crossota millsae is caught in a very interesting natural pose by the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Deep Discoverer’s cameras in waters south of La Parguera on the southwestern shore of Puerto Rico at a depth of 1,015 meters (3,330 feet). Moving just above the seafloor, ROV Deep Discoverer came across this jellyfish hovering with its tentacles extending outward in all directions. Looking into known accounts of jellyfish similar to this one, it appears the jellyfish shown is a male individual of Crossota millsae, a jellyfish in the Family Rhopalonematidae.

This is not the first time we have encountered a specimen like this – other species in this family of jellies have been caught by our ROV’s cameras. Certainly psychedelic, the video shows a jelly in a very interesting pose, suggesting this jellyfish may feed by hovering above the seafloor with stinging cell-loaded tentacles extended and waiting for prey. In other dives, these poses were followed by rapid swimming.

Known from the Atlantic as well as the Pacific, jellies similar to these have been found not too far from the seafloor, suggesting a linkage between the benthos and the water column. Recording seemingly natural behaviors and stances by deep-ocean life in high-definition has given us the ability to not only identify these organisms, but learn a little about how they live.

Author: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration