On Monday, bizarre marine life was spotted on Auckland Beach north of New Zealand. While walking, Dickinson's family saw an unidentified creature in the shape of a volcano with strange pink spots.
This creature turned out to be a huge jellyfish. It has a white segmented outer body and a brightly colored red interior, which looks a lot like a wet alien visitor.
The discoverer said: "We spent a lot of time observing it because it was beautiful in color and shape. My kid said it reminded him of a volcano. ”
In fact, Dickinson's family encountered a lion-maned jellyfish. It is also known as the Giant Jellyfish. When it floats underwater, it looks easier to identify.
Beneath its mushroom-like top, there are many thin lines that grow, which make up the tentacles of the jellyfish. But when it's washed up on the beach, its flat shape makes it look more like an alien creature from a sci-fi movie.
Amazingly, dickinson's family also saw the rhythm of jellyfish.
According to the introduction: "It almost looks like a muscle capable of contraction. ”
The lion's mane jellyfish is the largest known species of jellyfish and has been found around the world at latitudes ranging from the Arctic to Australia and New Zealand.
As a rule, they are about 50 cm wide. But the largest guy ever found came from massachusetts Bay in 1870 and reached a diameter of 2.3 meters.
McPherson, a marine biotechnologist at New Zealand's National Institute of Water and Atmosphere Research, said these jellyfish are common around the islands but rare in the late winter world.
"They are usually active during the spring and summer, when plankton begin to come alive and these jellyfish appear with them."
Interestingly, when the jellyfish's tentacles are all released, it is as if a lot of bait has been released. Each tentacle can catch something. Therefore, lion-maned jellyfish can be said to have the ability to handle multiple tasks at the same time.
What they like to eat is plankton and other jellyfish. As they float in the ocean, jellyfish roll up food with their stinging tentacles. In addition, they can also be used as an oasis for small fish and shrimp that are immune to their toxins. These guys who survive on jellyfish chassis can feed on jellyfish scraps.
In turn, lion-maned jellyfish are eaten by other large fish and turtles. For example, leatherback turtles feed only on lion-maned jellyfish.
Ocean temperatures are becoming increasingly unstable due to the effects of climate change, and these mysterious creatures are also affected by them, appearing more frequently during abnormal periods of the year.
But if you have a chance to see these lion-maned jellyfish on the beach, it's best not to touch them. While the sting they bring won't cause serious damage, it will definitely leave you with unforgettable pain.