• Photo by Rantje Allen

  • Photo by William Tan

  • Photo by Rantje Allen

  • Photo by William Tan

  • Photo by Rantje Allen

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Monthly Archives: June 2013

New Species: Lavender Tiger Jellyfish

Thysanostoma jellyfish has a new discovery found only in Indonesian waters.

A Lavender Tiger Discovered

Thysanostoma jellyfish
A Lavender tiger jellyfish visits Gorontalo

In addition to leading great dives, Miguel’s Diving also assists in scientific research. Mr. Wyatt Patry of Monterey Bay Aquarium confirmed that a beautiful Thysanostoma jellyfish we spotted at the end of a dive is a new species. We call it the Lavender Tiger Jellyfish. Only two other locations in Indonesia report seeing it. For that reason,it is a very rare species of jellyfish from the genus Thysanostoma. The unique features of this jellyfish are the tiger stripes on the bell and the lavender color. Furthermore, Mr. Patry also says that it lacks zooxanthellae algae, which are present in other species ofThysanostoma. The dramatic photo is courtesy of Kaufik Anril.

Bristle Tails of Thysanostoma jellyfish

Large Thysanostoma jellyfish live in warm waters from the central Indo-Pacific to Japan. The Latin word thysanura means “bristle tails.” This name refers to the large, bushy oral arms that hang from the jellyfish’s central bell. Miguel’s Diving staff and guests occasionally see other species in Gorontalo, such as Thysanostoma thysanura. However, we have only see this type of jellyfish near the surface.

Adult jellyfish are called medusa. They have a soft body consisting of a bell with tentacles or oral arms surrounding a central mouth. Solitary medusa, like Thysanostoma jellyfish

, swim freely in the open ocean.

Jellyfish are most famous for the stinging cells contained in their tentacles. The stinging cells are called nematocysts. They are microscopic and sensitive to pressure. Even a causal touch triggers hundreds or thousands of nematocysts. They fire like darts. As a result, jellyfish use them to immobilize prey like small fish. Moreover, some jellyfish are considered dangerous to humans. We have never seen any of these in Gorontalo.

Happily for divers, Thysanostoma jellfish typically lack those stinging cells. Additionally, they are large and easy to avoid. Since this jellyfish is rare, only a few lucky divers will ever see one. For your chance to see unusual marine life in Gorontalo, please book your dive trip with us.

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