Bodies of both fresh and saltwater hold a vast amount of mysterious and beautiful creatures. The hydromedusa is one of them.
Recently the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration captured footage of a hydromedusa gracefully maneuvering around in the water.
The Deep Discoverer, which is a 6,000-meter-rated remotely operated vehicle based on the NOAA ship Okeanos Explorer, recorded the organism. The colorful hydromedusa slowly pushed its way up through the water.
The NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research posted visuals of it on the organization’s Facebook page.
An explanatory caption notes “One of the highlights of our dive on September 6, 2014, in Washington Canyon was when the Deep Discoverer imaged this beautiful hydromedusa. Hydromedusas have red-tinted stomachs to camouflage any bioluminescence exhibited by their prey.”
Hydromedusae bear a striking resemblance to jellyfish, however aside from the appearance factor, the organisms are more closely related to sessile hydroids. Their body composition is far more sturdy and firm when compared to a typical, blob-like jellyfish.
Generally speaking, most of them are tiny in size, measuring about an inch in diameter, but a smaller percentage can get to be rather large.
