Purple jellyfish with multiple mouths could be new species

[Judi Lynn]

Purple jellyfish with multiple mouths could be new species
Australian Associated Press
theguardian.com, Wednesday 21 May 2014 02.57 EDT

Lifeguards on the Queensland's sunshine coast found the extraordinary creature and handed it over to scientists


[font size=1]
The vivid purple jellyfish was washed up on Coolum beach on the sunshine coast on
Wednesday. Photograph: Coolum Beach Surf and Life Saving Club/AAP[/font]

Scientists believe a bright purple jellyfish covered in tiny mouths that has washed up on a Queensland beach could be an undiscovered species.

The extraordinary colour of the creature has baffled marine experts, who are now trying to determine the species.

"It's straight out of science fiction," said marine biologist Dr Lisa Gershwin, who will analyse the jellyfish on Wednesday. "It's an electric, vibrant, ‘wow’ purple."

She said the tentacles, or oral arms, were about a metre long and covered in microscopic mouths.

More:
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/may/21/purple-jellyfish-with-multiple-mouths-could-be-new-species

[DJ13]

1. Hmmm

[kristopher]

2. A little sunscreen might do wonders for that little feller...

Wonder what color it is when it's home?

[MisterP]

3. teke-li-li! TEKE-LI-LI!

[hunter]

4. If that's a photosynthetic purple we ought to be terrified...

... because that's just the sort of creature you'd find in an ocean that's going stagnant.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple_bacteria

Have a nice day.

[X_Digger]

6. Err.. purple coloration doesn't mean any specific kind of photosynthetic compound.

There are purple scleractinian corals, purple anemones, purple coraline algae, purple clams, purple soft corals, purple jellyfish, purple cyanobacteria- all are photosynthetic, and none are indicative of stagnation.

e.g.

[hunter]

7. I'm thinking more along the lines of a Canfield Ocean...

... one that's partially anoxic and sulfidic.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canfield_ocean

Imagine all those purple creatures waiting patiently for the world to be theirs again, including this newly recognized jellyfish.

[X_Digger]

8. That's nice, but has no bearing on the coloration of any newly described species of jellyfish. n/t

[hunter]

9. Is there a "no flippant posting" rule in E/E?

Seriously, finding a newly described jellyfish species, that is interesting.

It's a beautiful creature (warning: that was a non-scientific judgment.)

But is there some reason I shouldn't wonder if the purple color means anything, or imagine radically changed oceans full of jellyfish?

[X_Digger]

10. Seems awfully chicken-little'ish, given the circumstances.

(The circumstances being tons and tons of purple photosynthetic marine creatures plus about two to four species a month being announced.)



eta: It would be like finding a new plant whose color is green and wondering if the green means the plant is full of gamma radiation..

[leftyohiolib]

5. i for one welcome our purple jellyfish overlords