Argentinian researchers have captured unprecedented images of one of the ocean's most enigmatic inhabitants: the ghost jellyfish. The discovery took place in the South Atlantic as part of the 'Life in the Extremes' campaign, which used the research vessel R/V Falkoor to explore virtually unknown areas of our continental shelf, according to the Argentine News Agency. It is the Stygiomedusa gigantea, a species so elusive that it has only been recorded 130 times in over a century. CONICET found a ghost jellyfish measuring 11 meters. 'These findings reinforce the need to continue investigating the deep ocean,' said María Emilia Bravo, the campaign's chief scientist. For specialists, encountering a specimen of these dimensions reinforces the importance of scientific sovereignty over the deep ocean.
An exceptional creature. Unlike the jellyfish commonly seen on coasts, this species lacks stinging tentacles. Its anatomy is designed for survival in total darkness: Oral arms: It has four extensions that reach up to 10 meters in length, which it uses to envelop and capture fish and plankton. Extreme rarity: Since its discovery in 1910, the global records of this species are scarce, making this sighting a milestone for local marine biology.
The Argentine Sea as a reservoir. The expedition, which traveled from Buenos Aires to Tierra del Fuego between December 2025 and January 2026, focused on critical ecosystems such as the Colorado-Rawson submarine canyon. According to the researchers, the sighting of this specimen, the size of a school bus, demonstrates that the Argentine Sea still holds biodiversity secrets that science is only beginning to understand.
