In Hong Kong, researchers dropped a net and collected water from a pond that was brownish-green in color. They uncovered a new species when they examined their capture more closely and saw a cube-shaped, 24-eyed creature staring back.
A paper that was published on 20 March in the journal Zoological Studies describes how the researchers discovered the critter hidden in the "brackish water" of the prawn ponds at Mai Po Nature Reserve. They came back three summers in a row and continued discovering new ones.
According to the study, after examining the creatures, researchers found a brand-new species of box jellyfish.
According to experts, box jellyfish got their moniker from their "cube-shaped" bodies. Some of the world's most poisonous marine invertebrates are found in this category of jellyfish.
Photos depict the new species, Tripedalia maipoensis, which has a transparent body with a faint yellowish tint. According to the study, the jellyfish, which is less than an inch long, has three tentacles spreading from each corner of its body.
According to scientists, the jellyfish contains 24 eyes that are grouped in groups of six. The creature has four tiny eyes known as the pit and slit eyes surrounding two smaller eyes known as the upper and lower lens eyes on each side.
According to a news release from Hong Kong Baptist University dated April 18, just two of these eyeballs are utilized for perceiving pictures, while the remaining four are employed to sense light.
The Tripedalia maipoensis jellyfish contains "paddle-shaped structures" at the tips of its tentacles that function as "boat paddles," according to the press release. Box jellyfish may swim more quickly than other varieties of jellyfish because of their "paddles".
A video from Hong Kong Baptist University demonstrates how the box jellyfish propels its body forward while swimming, appearing to pulse.
Due to the Tripedalia maipoensis jellyfish's genetic and morphological differences from other box jellyfish, scientists determined it to be a new species. The animal was given the Mai Po region's name after where it was found.
The head of the research team, Qiu Jianwen, called the Mai Po area "relatively well-studied," and the news release stated that this discovery "highlights the rich diversity of marine life in Hong Kong and even the entire of China."
According to the press release, Tripedalia maipoensis is the first species of box jellyfish to be found in Chinese seas.
In the northern part of Hong Kong is the Mai Po Nature Reserve. At the southernmost point of the nation is Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China.
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