A mysterious sea creature with tentacles reaching lengths of up to 70 feet has been appearing on US shores, leaving those who visit the beaches in awe.
This unusual jellyfish, often referred to as the ‘pink meanie’, stands out due to its candyfloss hue, impressive size, and somewhat macabre feeding habits.
Jace Tunnell, who serves as the director of community engagement at the Harte Research Institute in Corpus Christi, noted that over ten of these jellyfish have been observed along a 10-mile section of beach in Texas.
“I even spotted one in Port Aransas marina wrapped around a moon jellyfish,” Tunnell shared with his followers on Facebook.
Scientifically known as Drymonema larsoni, the pink meanie can weigh in excess of 50 pounds, with its tentacles extending longer than a bus.
Though their appearance is almost whimsically beautiful, these jellyfish are fierce predators, primarily preying on moon jellyfish.
A Facebook user under the name ‘Padre Island Madre’ shared her encounter with the creature online, calling it ‘the biggest jellyfish I had ever seen’.
“This is about the time when you start seeing them show up,” Tunnell explained, indicating that the presence of pink meanies is connected to a surge of moon jellies moving through the Gulf of Mexico.
Moon jellies, scientifically known as Aurelia aurita, are one of the most prevalent species in the region. They float with the current and feed on plankton, making them an easy target for a predator with large, sticky tentacles.
When a pink meanie captures its prey, it utilizes dangling ‘oral arms’ to disassemble the meal with digestive juices, a process that’s quite brutal.
Despite their intimidating name, pink meanies aren’t as dangerous as one might think. Tunnell rated their sting as a ‘two out of 10’, advising those sensitive to jellyfish stings to exercise caution. However, if one does get entangled in their tentacles, vinegar can provide relief.
When asked if these creatures are edible, Tunnell clarified: “If you’re like, ‘do people eat these things? It looks like cotton candy’. No, you can’t eat these things. This is one of the jellyfish that people aren’t eating.”
The jellyfish are so rare that when they first appeared in the Gulf of Mexico in 2000, scientists initially thought they were a Mediterranean species. Subsequent genetic testing showed they were a completely new species, prompting researchers to establish a new jellyfish family, the first addition since 1921.
Although they’ve been found in areas like the Gulf of Mexico, the Mediterranean, and near South Africa, they are still seldom seen.
Once they wash ashore, they don’t survive long because their bodies, being mostly water, dry out quickly, losing size and color.
For Tunnell, these discoveries highlight the vast unexplored mysteries of the ocean.
“That’s what I love about science,” he noted. “There’s still new species to be found out there.”