The jellyfish has two dozen eyes, evenly divided into four groups of six, located inside a sensory depression called a rhopalium on each side of the bell.
This is the first discovery of new species of jellyfish in Chinese waters and the fourth species in the Tripedaliidae family, which includes some of the most venomous marine animals in tropical waters.
A mysterious creature with 24 eyes was discovered in a muddy pond in Hong Kong. Scientists discovered it while observing a body of water in the Mai Po Nature Reserve and determined it to be a completely new species of jellyfish.
The new species is part of the jellyfish family. It has a transparent body measuring less than one inch and three long tentacles. Ox jellyfish, named for their body shape, have tentacles like poison darts that release a toxin that can cause paralysis, cardiac arrest, and even death, all within minutes of a sting.
The Australian jellyfish is considered the most venomous marine animal in the world.
The Australian jellyfish is considered the most venomous marine animal in the world.
“The class Cubozoa, commonly known as box jellyfish because of their cube-shaped bells, consists of a small group of cnidarians with approximately 50 described species and is well known to the public for containing some of the most venomous marine animals in the world. ” says a study published in an academic journal.
A team of scientists led by Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) observed the marine animal for three years and found that increasing numbers were appearing in the brackish water of shrimp ponds in the Mai Po Nature Reserve.
The reserve contains wetlands with shallow ponds that flow into the Sham Chun, Shan Pui, and Tin Shui Wai Nullah rivers.
The team collected jellyfish from the pond and analyzed their DNA and tissue, which allowed them to determine that it was a new species. It is closely related to species from Jamaica, Florida, Singapore, Australia, and India.
Research leader Professor Qiu Jianwen said jellyfish were “poorly known” in China’s marine waters and believed the discovery meant a “rich diversity” of marine life around Hong Kong. Both males and females were collected from the pond in 2022.
The wings of the female gonads are slender, extending from the stomach to the velarium, a thin sheet of muscle that forms the opening of the bell. And the wings have a yellowish color.
The wings of the male gonads are broad with rounded tips that extend from the stomach to the velarium and are whitish.
24 eyes are standard for box jellyfish, and two of the groups are said to have lenses that enable image formation, while the other four can only perceive light. The creature has three tentacles up to 10 centimeters long in its corners.
A flat, pedal-shaped structure at the base of each tentacle looks like a boat’s paddle, allowing the box jellyfish to produce powerful thrusts as they retract their bodies.
