See the Gulper Eel, Dumbo Octopus, and more!
1. Hydromedusa Jellyfish
This is probably the creepiest fish I've researched, and I've even got some sharks on my list. I mean, it's a glowing red jellyfish! How is that not scary? There are many different species of hydromedusae, but they rarely sting. The ones that do, however, can give a sting that's dreadfully painful. As you can probably guess, most hydromedusae are bioluminescent. Aequorea victoria is a species of hydromedusa, and scientists worked with this particular species in a very interesting way. Please try and understand what I'm going to say next. Well, scientists extracted the luminescent protein and the fluorescent molecule, and then they purified it, and in the end they cloned it. Those two products are now used a lot in biomedical research, all thanks to the hydromedusa jellyfish.
2. Dumbo Octopus
No, this animal was not named for the size of its brain, but how big can that brain be, anyway? Actually, the dumbo octopus is a genus, so there's not only one type of dumbo. There are organge ones and yellow ones, and even white ones! I bet you can guess why its name is dumbo, but here's a hint anyway: it's named after a Disney character. You guessed it! It's after Dumbo the elephant! Anyway, dumbo octopuses are kind of rare, and they live in the deep sea, so it's not like people see them often. They attach their eggs to the sea floor, and that's where the babies will come out one day. And the life cycle continues...
3. Gulper Eel
I think this video is extremely helpful, so you should watch it before you read this paragraph. But in the end, it leaves us with the thought-provoking question: why did it evolve to be this way? Well, first we have to look at the body structure. The mouth of the gulper eel is unhinged, or at least almost unhinged. One theory as to why they have that type of mouth is so that they can use it as a net. People don't really know. One other fun fact is that they have a glowing light at the end of their tail, which might be used for luring in prey, or maybe attracting a mate. Like I said, people don't really know.
Be on the lookout for the next one! It's coming next month!
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