ladbible logo

To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders

Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications

Rare Pink Giant Jellyfish Sighted For Only The Fourth Time In History

Rare Pink Giant Jellyfish Sighted For Only The Fourth Time In History

The species was thought to be extinct before it was last spotted in 2014, after going almost 70 years without being sighted

Jake Massey

Jake Massey

A rare pink jellyfish has been sighted off the coast of Italy for only the fourth time ever.

The Drymonema dalmatinum, or 'Stinging Cauliflower' - to use it's much easier to pronounce but somewhat demeaning moniker - has been filmed by amateur divers in the Miramare Biosphere Reserve off the coast of Miramar, in the north-eastern province of Trieste.

The jellyfish, thought to be the largest and rarest in the Mediterranean, has not been seen in the region since 2014. Before that, it was thought the species had become extinct, having not been sighted since 1945, with the first ever sighting recorded by scientist Ernst Haeckel back in 1880.

So yeah, they're rarer than rocking horse sh*t.

This latest Stinging Cauliflower measured around 40 to 50cms and the divers made sure to keep their distance, because as the name suggests, they ain't cuddly fellas.

As a researcher at the Miramare Biosphere Reserve put it, if you ever see one for yourself, you should 'move away immediately but also consider yourself very privileged to have seen one'.

A spokesperson for the reserve added: "This sighting of our divers, who spotted the jellyfish during a routine patrol of the reserve, is truly exceptional.

"Drymonema was first seen off the coast of Dalmatia in 1880 by German naturalist Ernst Haeckel and it was also seen in 1945.

"Then, it was spotted in the Gulf of Trieste by one of our researchers in 2014."

Stinging Cauliflower, really?
Newsflash

It's a good time for sightings of massive rare pink marine life, it would seem. Last year, Finnish underwater photographer Kristian Laine managed to snap breathtaking pictures of the only known pink manta ray in the world.

The ray - which has been dubbed Inspector Clouseau, after the detective from the Pink Panther movies - has only ever been seen a handful of times, but Kristian was able to get within touching distance of the creature near Lady Elliot Island in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia.

Reflecting on the magical moment, Kristian said: "It is very rare because I think there has only been around eight to 10 sightings since the first sighting in 2015.

"I felt amazed afterwards but also felt like when I was in its eye level, I felt like he was smiling at me.

"He was big and I got into a touch range but obviously didn't touch, I was super close, about a metre at best.

"The whole encounter lasted for about 20 to 30 minutes and he was part of a mating manta train that was just circling around a cleaning station."

To be that close to a mating manta train - the stuff of dreams.

Featured Image Credit: Newsflash

Topics: World News, Animals, Italy