Marine Wildlife Encyclopedia
Deep-sea Jellyfish Periphylla periphylla
The deep-sea jellyfish belongs to a group called coronate jellyfish, which are shaped like a ballet tutu. The upper part of the bell is a tall, stiff cone and the lower part a wider, soft, crown-shaped base with a scalloped edge. The 12 thin tentacles are often held in an upright position. The insides of the deep-sea jellyfish are a deep red color, and this may hide the bioluminescent light given out by its ingested prey. The jellyfish itself can squirt out a bioluminescent secretion that may help to confuse any predators. Unlike many jellyfish, the deep-sea jellyfish does not develop from a fixed bottom-living stage.
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- Class Scyphozoa
- Height 8–14 in (20–35 cm)
- Depth 3,000–23,000 ft (900–7,000 m)
- Habitat Open water
- Distribution Deep water worldwide, except Arctic Ocean
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