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Subscribe to RSSExperts say the "Cascade Creature" is a jellyfish that's been turned inside-out.
Marine biologists say the spooky "Cascade Creature" seen drifting through the deep sea in a viral video isn't a whale placenta, a parachute, a plastic bag or an alien visitor: It's a type of jellyfish known as a Deepstaria enigmatica.
The video, which was apparently captured by a remotely operated vehicle near an underwater drilling site, caused a bit of a stir over the past couple of weeks among weird-science fans. Now it looks as if the truth is out there, thanks to assessments from experts such as Steven Haddock at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute and Craig McClain at the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center.
"This bag-like jelly is not that rare, but is large, so rarely seen intact," Haddock and his colleagues write on the JellyWatch Facebook page. "In the video, the swirling from the sub makes the medusa appear to undulate, and it even turns inside-out." They provide a helpful picture of a more typical specimen.
McClain is even more helpful in his posting at Deep Sea News. He provides citations on previous sightings of the beast, including explanations for the jellyfish's weirdly collapsed shape. And he shows through photographs and drawings that the strange appendage and whitish lumps seen in the video are D. enigmatica's gonads. TMI, Craig ... TMI.
For a third opinion, look no further than Australia's Nine News, which quotes Daniel Bucher, a marine biologist at Southern Cross University, as saying that the gonads were the giveaway.
Now that we've settled that, bring on the next sea monster.
More sea monsters:
- Iceland's monster unmasked
- Monster bug? It's no joke!
- Nessie-like monster filmed in Alaska
- Why giant squid have basketball eyes
- Fishermen pick up dying giant squid
Alan Boyle is msnbc.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page, following @b0yle on Twitter and adding the Cosmic Log page to your Google+ presence. You can also check out "The Case for Pluto," my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.
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Science wins again.
Some superstitions have a scientific basis. One could easily imagine an ancient sailor seeing such a creature and, not having modern marine biology to provide a framework for understanding what he had seen, he would have called it a "monster." I mean, it DOES look like a monster, doesn't it? But it is, in fact, a huge jelly fish-- and just as impressive, even if we don't call it a "monster" now.
Yeah, that totally doesn't wash with me, Shandril.
That would imply that ancient man had no way of knowing the difference between a supernatural creature and an animal they had merely never seen before; thus making all animals they had never seen before supernatural in nature.
I'm pretty sure after a lifetime of seeing nothing but non-supernatural creatures, it was only the dumb ones that immediately jumped on the "Gamora" bandwagon when encountering a creature they had never seen before.
Somehow, I doubt that ancient man was without at least some form of the concept of rational expectations and realism. I didn't have to know a lot about science or history to realize that Santa Claus was BS pretty much instantly as a young child or to cast serious doubts on the intelligence of my fellow classmates in early primary school when some of them insisted that He-Man was real (and I'll never forget the righteous indignation they clearly felt when I said they were wrong.) Some things never change.
What's superstitious about thinking it was a whale placenta? Wrong, but not superstitious. That was the only other serious possibility I saw put forth.
I'm just waiting to see how the first loser brings politics into this.
'Cause we all know there is someone out there thinking hard about how to compare this to...
Sorry Chris - you are barking up the wrong tree. Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny are fantasy for children, and only for children. Not all of the species in the depths of the sea are known. We are still constantly finding new species both underwater and on land. Is it a "myth" or "superstition" that someone reports seeing a creature that nobody else has yet seen? Science only knows what it knows. It does not know the unknown.
You fail the logic test.
Gee Chris, remind me to invite you to a party. It must be a whole lot of fun to hang out with a person who knows the answer before the question is asked.
I would guess that you actually were only asked to one party before it got around that you are about as cuddly as a wet wool blanket on a cool fall day.
B.T.W. - Sarcasm
Oh, I'm sorry, you already knew that.
I'm so disappointed. Right now I'm hoping that this "Marine Biologist" gets DEVOURED by an uncatalogued prehistoric sea beast.
Well... duh it's not an alien or a parachute or whatever else these wackos were thinking. But the scientists are so eager to prove it's not one of these crazy apparitions that they say "oh yeah it's a common species..... but it is way bigger than normal...... and a slightly different color............ oh yeah! And it looks nothing like it should because it is inside-out" C'mon man, just say it's an unknown species of jellyfish.
Quite beautiful and nice video, but well-known to those who know.
Well known to those who know. Wow did you really say that.
That was absolutely beautiful to watch. Add music - maybe this one, appropriately named. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jl8iYAo90pE&ob=av2n
In general, I'm always amazed at some of the nature shots photographers manage to get.
Judas-1953669
I'm just waiting to see how the first loser brings politics into this.
'Cause we all know there is someone out there thinking hard about how to compare this to...
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Its Bush's fault. LOL
I think the video was indicating the depth to be 5203 feet ....
Really nice clear photography ....
You can see the membrane rings really well ....
Cool jellyfish ....
Now keep looking for the peanut butter fish ....
Thanks Alan ....
And the bread fish. Oh and the milk fish and the oreo fish. And why not, hear it goes, this whole sea monster thing smells a little fishy to me.
Hi Big Ben,
You're right, it's really a nice job of filming. I never really thought it was anything other than some sort of huge piece of plastic that had seen better days. It turned out to be something very surreal but part of nature. Now we have a new way of looking at jelly fish. Nice.
Why did it take so long for scientists to figure it out? It was fun reading what people thought though. LOL
Hay Darrah ....
Always good to see you ....
I know , at first , I thought it was a lost piece of fabric ....
Until you see the membrane rings and it's organs ....
And yes , some of the posters are a trip ....
Better than Ledderman sometimes .... "LOL"
Have fun ....
wonder what the conspiracy retards will have to say...
Great video. Almost like it was showing off for the camera.
Bit freaked out to go into the ocean this Summer
On the menu in China.
J-Fish Nads. What's the BFD?
Well, of course it's a jelly, but it was good, creepy fun for a little bit. The sea holds so many beautiful and mind-blowing things - mantis shrimp and eagle rays and iridescent squid and hammerheads, oh my! Don't be afraid, Puss - take a peek under sometime. It's gorgeous.
Who knew jellyfish have such big nuts! LOL
how could've anyone even mistaken this. jeez.
nice, saw something like that floating around before, it was not in the water though, and it was pissed off.....
looks like alien to me
look like those aliens from underwater movie that had underwater aliens but without glow
I don't care what they call it, I thought it was quite beautiful. Great video.
I'm wondering why no one has discussed the little white "DOTS" that are accelerating faster than possible in water...???
It is a monster - Its a monster jellyfish. Still waiting for the Kraken, which will probably be a giant squid.
The Kracken is a Cray XT5.
Sheesh MSNBC, can't you do any better than this article?? What a stupid article. Stupid video, you can see itis a jellyfish. Sheesh.
Why don't you call the jellyfish stupid while your on a roll .... ??
Yeah Ben, if people didn't enjoy the article, why did they continue reading and waste their time commenting on it?
Must be a deep seeded problem with MSNBC.
Have a good weekend!
i think its a beautiful jellyfish
it is about as pretty as the boxer jellyfish
i would never think to eat it if its rare
ya they should be at least medium well done
Doug, I've never regretting sending that friend request to you.
:-)
Kill it. Death to all Jelly Fish. Surf Nazis Must Die !
Takes a half a second to see that it's a jellyfish . Sea monster ? HA!
That would make a whole lot of tangy tasting jellyfish salad and a bit stingy too.
Neat looking creature, either Obama did it or it's Bush's fault :) Ya all have a nice day.
This is what the Obama administration has given us! By BP dumping all that oil down there it has turned healthy jellyfish into GIANT inside-out versions of themselves!