Until it was found a few days ago off the coast of Queensland , northeast Australia, there were no references to this disturbing creature: a jellyfish with meter-long tentacles , a huge umbrella – as the upper part of these animals is called – and, above all, a brilliant violet color that does not go unnoticed.
But when the find was made public, testimonies of sightings began to emerge on other Australian beaches , some with photos, dating back to 2008.
The thousands of microscopic mouths on its limbs, with which it feeds on plankton, and other details of its anatomy relate the violet monster to the genus Thysanostoma .
However, all the Thysanostoma specimens that colonize Australian waters are much smaller and show a discreet beige hue. We are surely facing an unknown species that has begun to proliferate faster or has moved from another place due to some change in the habitats of the Pacific Ocean.
Photo: Jamie Smith, Coolum Lifeguard
