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When you realize you've been calling your neighbor the wrong name for years! 😱 A new paper is helping to clarify the names of the often misidentified little red jellies seen around Monterey Bay. The researchers combed through MBARI’s database of video from ROV dives to find all of the little red jellies of Monterey Bay and determine which species were which. Then they used MBARI ROVs to capture additional video footage of the red jellies and collect a number of specimens for genomic analysis to confirm their true identities. Though their similar appearances did pose a challenge, it was still possible to distinguish the species from one another based on their shape and form. The researchers validated nine species in Monterey Bay. This one falls into the genus Crossota. Jellies in this group sometimes boast wild-looking tentacles akin to exploding fireworks and swim via strong pulses followed by a peaceful drift. #MBARI #deepsea #sealife #jellyfish
Count the little red jellies! MBARI biologist George Matsumoto is one of the researchers untangling the complicated red-jelly family tree. In this month’s issue of Frontiers in Marine Science, Matsumoto and his colleagues present a key to help scientists tell these look-alike species apart through their physical differences, depth distribution, and behavior. As the jellies were described (given scientific names) over the years, scientists corrected each other and renamed the species several times. The family tree became so convoluted that even experts were getting confused. Based on their identifications and analysis, the researchers created a new, tentative genetic tree for the little red jellies. But there are probably many new species still to be found outside of Monterey Bay. Read more about this story on our website (link in bio). #MBARI #deepsea #sealife #jellyfish
