Deep relaxation: Breathe deep with the big, red jellyfish Tiburonia granrojo

Give yourself a moment to breathe deep with the big, red jelly, Tiburonia granrojo. Like a big red spaceship cruising the ocean depths, Tiburonia granrojo truly is otherworldly. Despite its large size, scientists didn’t encounter it until 1993. These giant jellies are found between 600–2,100 meters (2,000–7,000 feet) and the bell can reach up to one meter (3.3 feet) across. ⁣The fact that scientists could miss something so big and with such a wide range suggests that many more surprises await us in our exploration of the deep sea. MBARI researcher George Matsumoto discovered and described this giant red medusa with several colleagues. It was named Tiburonia granrojo in recognition of the research contributions of the ROV Tiburon, retired by MBARI in 2008. The species name— granrojo means big red, a descriptive name that biologists used to refer to this jelly until it was formally named.