Lion's Mane Jelly off the Coast of Tampa Bay

[CuzzA]

I've never seen one in the Gulf, until yesterday. I thought they were a cold water species. Maybe I mis-identified it. Pretty cool though. Came up from a dive and was about to board the boat when I saw it out of the corner of my eye.

 

[RyanT]

Likely a pink meanie, not a lion's mane. They are impressive, with the bell reaching up to 36" diameter and tentacles up to 70'. The first time I saw one in S. Florida, I also thought I was seeing a lion's mane.

What is the Pink Meanie? Former DISL post-doc that named it fills us in

A pink blob floating in the waters off of Alabama catches people’s attention as they walk the beach. The scientific name is Drymonema larsoni, and named by a former DISL post-doctoral student Keith Bayha.

www.disl.edu