During a scientific expedition off the coast of Argentina, researchers recorded stunning footage of a rare and massive deep-sea jellyfish.
Known as the “Giant Phantom Jellyfish,” its scientific name is Stygiomedusa gigantea. According to the Schmidt Ocean Institute, the jellyfish was observed nearly 820 feet below the ocean surface and can grow as long as a school bus.
The institute stated that this rare jellyfish lacks stinging tentacles and instead uses its long arms to capture food, including plankton and small fish. Experts say its unique structure and hunting method distinguish it from other jellyfish species.
The discovery was made during an Argentina-led scientific expedition aboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute’s research vessel R/V Falkor, which studied marine life along Argentina’s continental coast from Buenos Aires to Tierra del Fuego.
During the expedition, the team also documented the world’s largest known coral, Bathelia candida, and potentially identified 28 new species, including sea urchins, marine snails, corals, and other organisms.
Additionally, for the first time in the country, researchers observed a “whale fall”—the site where a dead whale’s body sinks to the ocean floor—at a depth exceeding 12,000 feet.
Expedition leader Dr. Maria Emilia Bravo, a biologist from the University of Buenos Aires, said she did not expect such extensive biodiversity in Argentina’s deep seas. She described witnessing the interactions of multiple species and ecosystems in real-time as “incredible,” adding that the research opens new windows into the country’s marine biological wealth, with much still left to explore.
