The Atolla reynoldsi is one of three formally identified new specimens of Atolla jellyfish floating in the depths of Monterey Bay
Highlights
- The Atolla reynoldsi is a new species of Atolla jellyfish living in the waters off the California coast.
- It lives in the so-called midnight zone of the ocean – between one and four kilometers deep – a region where light only comes from animals that produce it themselves.
- The discovery raises questions about species that live in the global ocean and haven’t yet been described, says MBARI researcher George Matsumoto.
- MBARI researchers have documented more than 225 new species from explorations in Monterey Bay over the past 34 years – but the deep zone is one of the least explored places for new species in the ocean.