‘Medusa’ sea creature — with up to 11 tentacles — discovered by snorkelers off Mexico

Dozens of tiny, tentacled creatures were recently discovered living in the Gulf of Mexico.

The small sea dwellers, it turns out, belong to a previously unknown species of “crawling” jellyfish-like creatures, according to a study published on Feb. 20 in the European Journal of Taxonomy.

Snorkelers spotted the tentacled animal in the algae-filled waters off the Yucatan Peninsula during three excursions in 2022.

They collected over 100 specimens and transported them to a nearby lab for further study.

Upon analysis, researchers revealed the specimens to be new members of the Staurocladia genus, a family of hydromedusae — a jellyfish cousin — currently known to compose 11 species. Most of the species are found in temperate waters throughout the world.

Hydromedusae tend to be found seasonally in coastal habitats, often living only for a few days, according to research from the University of Washington.

The newfound, brown-colored creatures are extremely diminutive in size, measuring less than a millimeter wide, researchers said.

The majority of the specimens researchers found sported eight tentacles, though some had as few as six and one had 11. Some were also seen with “visible eggs.”

The crawling medusae were distinguished by their flattened and sometimes “dome-shaped umbrella” as well as by a series of specialized cell clusters on their tentacles.

Worldwide, there are around 800 known species of hydromedusae, most of which, on account of their size and transparent complexion, go unseen by humans, according to a 2013 study.

This story was originally published February 27, 2024 at 5:40 PM with the headline "‘Medusa’ sea creature — with up to 11 tentacles — discovered by snorkelers off Mexico."