The Phantom Jellyfish

The phantom jellyfish (Stygiomedusa gigantea) is a rare deep-sea species known for its ghostly appearance and enormous size, with a bell spanning up to a meter (3 feet) in diameter and ribbon-like tentacles that can reach over 10 meters (33 feet) in length.

First discovered in 1899, this jellyfish is seldom seen, with fewer than 150 recorded sightings, mostly at ocean depths between 1,000 and 6,000 meters (3,280 to 19,685 feet). Its long, undulating tentacles are used to capture prey, likely small fish and plankton, as it drifts through the dark, cold waters.

The jellyfish’s translucent, eerie appearance and habitat in the ocean’s twilight and midnight zones have earned it the “phantom” name, as it remains one of the more mysterious and elusive creatures in marine biology.