Scientists have discovered a remarkable enigmatic cube-shaped box jellyfish with 24 eyes all over it in Hong Kong. It has been named Tripedalia Maipoensis after the Mai Po Nature Reserve. Its unique attributes and appearance have intrigued many researchers and scientists, which has pushed them to learn more about it. This jellyfish is completely transparent and colourless too.
T. maipoensis is the first box jelly ever discovered in Chinese waters, according to Live Science. The half-inch (1.5 cm) animal may be toxic enough to startle tiny prawns known as Artemia, but it is unknown if it can sting people. In an email to Live Science, Qiu stated, “It seemed to paralyse Artemia offered in the lab.” “But we did not touch the animal to feel the sting.”
Tripedalia maipoensis: How the discovery of a new species came to be
As researchers were performing their usual water research and studies in the brackish ponds of Mai Po they let their nets down and then found something different and mysterious that caught their attention. After observing and looking closely, they identified that this creature had 24 eyes, and because it was something that they had never seen before, they knew that this was the discovery of a new species.
According to a report published March 20, 2023, according to Yahoo News in the journal Zoological Studies, the researchers discovered the critter hidden in the “brackish water” of prawn ponds at Mai Po Nature Reserve. Throughout three consecutive summers, they continued to discover more of these creatures. According to the report, after examining the creatures, the researchers found a new species of box jellyfish.
Box jellyfish got their name because of their cube-shaped nature, and they are known for being very poisonous within their marine habitat. Photographs of the new species, Tripedalia maipoensis, reveal a translucent body with a faint white tint. According to the study, the jellyfish, which is less than an inch long, has three tentacles that extend from each corner of its body.
The startling and astonishing anatomy: A cube-shaped with 24 Eyes
One of the reasons why we are talking about this creature today is because it has 24 eyes. That was a striking moment for scientists when they found it in Hong Kong. Under normal and obvious circumstances, one would wonder how the 24 eyes operate and if they perform one function. Two eyes in each cluster have lenses that can create images, and the other four eyes can simply detect light.
T. maipoensis is distinguished from other jellyfish by its distinctive tentacle structure and cube-shaped bell. Similar to boat paddles, the pedalia at each tentacle’s base provide powerful thrusts that enable quick movement. In the dynamic brackish waters it lives in, this adaptation is very helpful for catching prey and evading predators.
A poisonous mystery: Possible dangers and ecological effects
The T. maipoensis is part of the box jellyfish family and is believed to be poisonous, as mentioned above. Because it is a new discovery, researchers are not yet sure how poisonous the cube-shaped, 24-eyed creature is because the box jellyfish is known to sting very painfully, and humans have testified that it is very dangerous too. Therefore, the Hong Kong community is wondering if their area poses risks with this creature.
Due to its physical and genetic differences from other box jellyfish, researchers were able to identify the Tripedalia maipoensis jellyfish as a new species. The animal was called for the Mai Po region where it was found. This discovery highlights the rich diversity of marine life in Hong Kong and even the whole of China, according to research team head Qiu Jianwen, who also called the Mai Po area “relatively well-studied.”