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'''Benthic Comb Jelly''' (''Abyssobenthic ctenophore'') is a [[jellyfish]] living in the [[Ryukyu Trench]] near [[Japan]]. It is the deepest [[Ctenophora|ctenophore]] to be discovered at the depth of 7217 meters.
'''Benthic Comb Jelly''' (''Abyssobenthic ctenophore'') is a [[jellyfish]] living in the [[Ryukyu Trench]] near [[Japan]]. It is the deepest [[Ctenophora|ctenophore]] to be discovered at the depth of 7217 meters.

==Description==
The Benthic Comb Jelly is a gelantinous organism 5-8 cm wide and 10-20 cm long. They can attach themselves to the bottom using two long filaments and have two retractable tentacles at the opposite end. Their appearance have been said to resemble a two-tailed box kite.


== Discovery ==
== Discovery ==

Revision as of 16:21, 15 January 2012

Benthic Comb Jelly (Abyssobenthic ctenophore) is a jellyfish living in the Ryukyu Trench near Japan. It is the deepest ctenophore to be discovered at the depth of 7217 meters.

Description

The Benthic Comb Jelly is a gelantinous organism 5-8 cm wide and 10-20 cm long. They can attach themselves to the bottom using two long filaments and have two retractable tentacles at the opposite end. Their appearance have been said to resemble a two-tailed box kite.

Discovery

The Benthic Comb Jelly was discovered off the coast of Japan at the Ryukyu Trench. It was observed by the Remotely operated underwater vehicle Kaikō on a dive into the Ryukyu Trench in April 2002, the video and images of this unique bottom dwelling ctenophore remained "undiscovered" until several years later. During April 2006, scientists on a Census of Marine Zooplankton and observed a number of rare deep-sea ctenophores. This lead up to the cydippid ctenophore taxonomy being examined again and the suggestion that there should be two new families of cydippid ctenophore. Due to several taxonomic affinities, researchers studied this species for inclusion in the genus Aulacoctena. However the two species did not match up, so a second category will be made.

Diet

Many questions have arisen about the availability of food for the Benthic Comb Jelly. Previously thought was that the abyssal depths of deep sea trenches such as this one could not support predators that rely on macroscopic food sources, but are sessile and do not actively hunt. This led some to believe that the Benthic Comb Jelly and other creatures were that there missing pieces of the story of life in this area.

Mobility

The Benthic Comb Jelly moves by flying through water. It uses the end of two long strings that have been attached to the sea floor to do so.

References

http://www.coml.org/discoveries/species/benthic_comb_jelly

http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/photos/8-bizarre-newly-discovered-deep-sea-creatures/benthic-comb