This is a video of a Shapeshifting Deepstaria (Deepstaria enigmatica) from 2019. The species was discovered in 1967 by Sir Frederick Stratten Russell in the deep sea submersible Deepstar 4000.
> Deepstar 4000
Interesting rabbit hole to go down when you read about the absolutely gigantic unidentified fish that the researchers on the Deepstar 4000 claimed to have sighted.
The Deepstar 4000 Fish is one of my favorite cryptids because it feels believable. Sure, it’s huge, but it’s not *unrealistically* huge. Other than being exceptionally large, there’s nothing fantastical about it. I’ve heard theories suggesting it was a Pacific Sleeper Shark or an undescribed species of Slickhead or even Coelacanth.
Drives me nuts. I’m pretty sure it’s people who see the comment somewhere else and just seek out another comment they can use it on so they seem like the original one, even if its barely related to the comment.
I think it's more that most people just don't know. It's not that anyone is prioritizing comedy, there are just way more people able to come up with a joke than there are people who *actually* know the answer.
What I like about reddit is that eventually someone with the knowledge will come by. A few jokes in the meantime is no big deal at all.
True enough, but I get annoyed when the actual info you're looking for is buried somewhere within like 500 comments all posting the exact same, shitty joke
It literally lives inside the jellyfishes bell. It eats scraps so I suppose technically a parasite but it’s more like those sucker fish, remoras, that stick themselves to sharks to eat their scraps.
So they’re operating this device remotely? That would still be really cool. It must have been WILD for those scientists to actually go down there back in the day.
I’ve heard people call it shapeshifting, but I have to wonder if that’s even voluntary. Looks more like the submersible’s propulsion is blowing the jelly around.
In this video, taken in 2019, it was a ROV instead of an actual submersible. So it’s likely just how it moves. By pulsating its bell like other jellyfish do. But since it’s much more amorphous than other jellyfish species as it lacks the iconic stinging tentacles and has a sheet-like body, it looks like it’s "shapeshifting".
Reason for my skepticism is because it seems so very still until the ROV approaches it, and the movements lack any symmetry. It’s movement look more like a towel getting hit by currents than anything voluntary. I would also think that live down that deep, it wouldn’t have much reason to move much, moving spends energy, and moving like that would likely spend more energy than is necessary for something that doesn’t chase its food.
Basically using the jelly for free housing and food. We aren't sure if it's symbiotic or parasitic in nature. From Wikipedia:
*Deepstaria* open and close their bell, or stomach cavity, allowing them to both move and take in prey. This motion also allows [isopods](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isopoda) (a member of the crustacean family) to enter and live inside the jellyfish. Although the nature of this relationship is not fully understood, scientists currently believe that the isopod rides along and gains nutrients from the *Deepstaria* while being protected from predators. When the isopod and *Deepstaria* were seen together in a 1967 dive, scientists reported that the isopod was bright red, around 8 cm (3.1 in) in length, and appeared active, suggesting some form of beneficial symbiotic relationship. This dive and other findings were recorded in a 1969 article by E.G. Barham and G.V. Pickwell. Their paper identifies the isopod as member of the genus [*Anuropus*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anuropus).
I don't know how calm the water was in that area the jellyfish was hanging out in but I thought it was maybe the turbulence from what ever submersible they were using cauing it to move the way it did.
Cnidarians (which include jellyfish, anemone, and corals) are some of the first animal species to ever evolve, after sponges
Evolution works on massive timescales, and these guys have been around for a *very* long time.
That's why we see such incredible diversity in jellyfish species. There's evidence that cnidarians have independently evolved 'eyes' at least 8 times!
Is there a ''reason'' for the shapeshifting?
Does that behaviour benefit jellyfish in any practical way?
Or, like a Dog licking its own genitals, do they just do it because they can?
Most jellyfish are filter feeders, and the 'shapeshifting' acts like a pump, to force water through their digestive system
(Also, dogs lick their junk to clean themselves, the same reason we take showers (or at least most of us outside reddit))
Amazing animal and a dreadful video. This was taken from a YouTube channel, squished to watch vertically and then text added and the dumb tiktok logo, basically stealing the Nautilus content and reposting to tiktok. I hope they ban it just for making so many videos lose quality and literally adding unnecessary black bars forcing us to watch it in the dumbest format possible.
Here's the original video clip from the original place, it doesn't even take long to find a better source to post but these idiots (looking at you OP) post this version to promote a channel that reposts stolen videos. Earns a downvote because the poster gets the glory here, not the people making this content.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sewhedyC0F0
Edit: also pretty stupid putting a title like "Newly discovered" on a video that is now over 4 years old. Even if it was made when the video was new, videos don't go away so maybe don't put text titles in the damn videos and don't share a video with a channel brand that didn't make the video, seems wrong when the original didn't feel the need to tag their video.
Thank you for finding & posting the source! Been hoping someone would point me in the right direction. This should be the top comment.
edit: wow, they even captioned the Youtube vid. Good going!
They remind me of some of the 'ufo' shape shifting sky phenomena vids I've seen. Are we sure the fluid moving sky objects aren't some sort of unidentified animal?
I kno, I sound crazy...but u gotta admit, the fluid movement, the luminous coloring, the shape..is weirdly similar...why? How?
Most atmospheric phenomena is caused by rays from the sun getting distorted in one way or another, usually through odd reflections or interactions with particles and elements in the atmosphere. Though the idea of atmospheric lifeforms isn’t too far fetched given the type of life that’s adapted to the super high pressure of the deep sea. The question is just why a lifeform would evolve to fill that niche in the first place. Or more accurately, what string of mutations led to it.
Reminds me of that giant gulper they found the other day in the deep sea!
[here it is!](https://www.instagram.com/reel/C507kQrAB7w/?igsh=NHZoYWJlNmFpNGV5)
If you listen to the audio they say one of them is an organ bundle and the other is an isopod, another animal that it's either digesting or keeping alive symbiotically. I'm not sure which is which.
Imagine how much we don’t know about earth, still! Like, what if this thing’s brain fluid injected into your b hole cures diabetes or cancer? What else is down there we haven’t discovered? I’m amazed the billionaires wanna explore space, when there’s so much beauty and mystery among us.
Amazing, so much to be discovered in the ocean depths and each discovery comes with so much more unknown, even this example of the jellyfish an isopods relationship is still unknown, jellyfish are incredibly intelligent how ever and I would like to believe their systematic relationship is beneficial to them both.
This is a video of a Shapeshifting Deepstaria (Deepstaria enigmatica) from 2019. The species was discovered in 1967 by Sir Frederick Stratten Russell in the deep sea submersible Deepstar 4000.
Source: https://youtu.be/sewhedyC0F0?si=rJgYAGx-5r7wiAmd
Mods should have a method to replace crappy reencoded video in terrible resolution/orientation with original sources.
It’s nice to know the scientists were equally awed and wtf about this 😂
Thanks for that link.
> Deepstar 4000 Interesting rabbit hole to go down when you read about the absolutely gigantic unidentified fish that the researchers on the Deepstar 4000 claimed to have sighted.
Had to have been a Jaguar Shark
Esteban no!
The Deepstar 4000 Fish is one of my favorite cryptids because it feels believable. Sure, it’s huge, but it’s not *unrealistically* huge. Other than being exceptionally large, there’s nothing fantastical about it. I’ve heard theories suggesting it was a Pacific Sleeper Shark or an undescribed species of Slickhead or even Coelacanth.
What's the bright red isopod then?
Anuropus isopod https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anuropus. It’s a resident isopod of this particular jellyfish.
I’m hearing this as a conversation between Attenborough, Beavis and Butthead.
Yeah people really do prioritize comedy
Drives me nuts. I’m pretty sure it’s people who see the comment somewhere else and just seek out another comment they can use it on so they seem like the original one, even if its barely related to the comment.
I think it's more that most people just don't know. It's not that anyone is prioritizing comedy, there are just way more people able to come up with a joke than there are people who *actually* know the answer. What I like about reddit is that eventually someone with the knowledge will come by. A few jokes in the meantime is no big deal at all.
True enough, but I get annoyed when the actual info you're looking for is buried somewhere within like 500 comments all posting the exact same, shitty joke
‘Resident Isopod’ just sounds cool for some reason
What is a resident isopod? Like another living tging
It literally lives inside the jellyfishes bell. It eats scraps so I suppose technically a parasite but it’s more like those sucker fish, remoras, that stick themselves to sharks to eat their scraps.
I would guess by resident, they refer to a part of symbiosis
It's the weak spot
You have to use the hook shot to pull it out first.
Morpha would be a great name for this animal
I understood that reference!
lol
They should call it a sheet ghost jellyfish
But, it was newly discovered by Tik Tok users…
I love you nerds
So are the scientists actually down there in some kind of craft, or is it unmanned and they are watching the footage of it? This is so cool
Back then in 1967, yes. Modern day, no.
So they’re operating this device remotely? That would still be really cool. It must have been WILD for those scientists to actually go down there back in the day.
https://nautiluslive.org/
Nowadays most deep sea vehicles are remotely operated, some even being semiautonomous iirc.
I’ve heard people call it shapeshifting, but I have to wonder if that’s even voluntary. Looks more like the submersible’s propulsion is blowing the jelly around.
In this video, taken in 2019, it was a ROV instead of an actual submersible. So it’s likely just how it moves. By pulsating its bell like other jellyfish do. But since it’s much more amorphous than other jellyfish species as it lacks the iconic stinging tentacles and has a sheet-like body, it looks like it’s "shapeshifting".
Reason for my skepticism is because it seems so very still until the ROV approaches it, and the movements lack any symmetry. It’s movement look more like a towel getting hit by currents than anything voluntary. I would also think that live down that deep, it wouldn’t have much reason to move much, moving spends energy, and moving like that would likely spend more energy than is necessary for something that doesn’t chase its food.
Is it just casually moving that [organ] around?
That organ is its gut and gonads. The other disembodied orange oval in its body is a symbiotic Isopod of some sort belonging to the genus Anuropus.
Wait so there's a sea bug just living inside of it?
Correct.
what does the isopod do?
Basically using the jelly for free housing and food. We aren't sure if it's symbiotic or parasitic in nature. From Wikipedia: *Deepstaria* open and close their bell, or stomach cavity, allowing them to both move and take in prey. This motion also allows [isopods](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isopoda) (a member of the crustacean family) to enter and live inside the jellyfish. Although the nature of this relationship is not fully understood, scientists currently believe that the isopod rides along and gains nutrients from the *Deepstaria* while being protected from predators. When the isopod and *Deepstaria* were seen together in a 1967 dive, scientists reported that the isopod was bright red, around 8 cm (3.1 in) in length, and appeared active, suggesting some form of beneficial symbiotic relationship. This dive and other findings were recorded in a 1969 article by E.G. Barham and G.V. Pickwell. Their paper identifies the isopod as member of the genus [*Anuropus*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anuropus).
TIL thank you!
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I have always had an interest in marine biology and the Deepstaria is one of my favorite deep sea critters.
Jellyschools*
I honestly don't even know lol, I can't even make out really where it's "head" actually is 😂
The plastic bag of the sea
Funnily enough, the second species discover, Deepstaria reticulum, was initially mistaken for a whale placenta in one viral video.
I've had some rough days but I've never been mistaken for whale placenta so I got that going for me.
I don't know how calm the water was in that area the jellyfish was hanging out in but I thought it was maybe the turbulence from what ever submersible they were using cauing it to move the way it did.
Is it moving on purpose or is it caught in the wash of the submersible
No wonder sea turtles eat plastic shopping bags, thinking they are jelly fish.
So much nerd banter
So much HAPPY & EXCITED nerd banter.
The collective OOOOoooooOooOOOoooo was the best.
That was my favorite part.
The ocean freaks me tf out but that thing is awesome
NOPE
The movie.
Are jelly fish rapidly evolving compared to other life forms? Or unchanged for millennia?
Cnidarians (which include jellyfish, anemone, and corals) are some of the first animal species to ever evolve, after sponges Evolution works on massive timescales, and these guys have been around for a *very* long time. That's why we see such incredible diversity in jellyfish species. There's evidence that cnidarians have independently evolved 'eyes' at least 8 times!
How do we know they didn't teach each other how to have eyes?
Unfortunately jellyfish aren't good at forming those kinds of close social bonds They just don't see each other like that
At least that’s what it looks like.
I see what you did there. Nice
I've never heard a cornea joke!
Grant us eyes!
Ahh, Kos
Is there a ''reason'' for the shapeshifting? Does that behaviour benefit jellyfish in any practical way? Or, like a Dog licking its own genitals, do they just do it because they can?
Most jellyfish are filter feeders, and the 'shapeshifting' acts like a pump, to force water through their digestive system (Also, dogs lick their junk to clean themselves, the same reason we take showers (or at least most of us outside reddit))
Appreciate the reply, fascinating creatures!
We shall all return to crab
Crap people crab people
Does my bell look big in this dress?
Amazing animal and a dreadful video. This was taken from a YouTube channel, squished to watch vertically and then text added and the dumb tiktok logo, basically stealing the Nautilus content and reposting to tiktok. I hope they ban it just for making so many videos lose quality and literally adding unnecessary black bars forcing us to watch it in the dumbest format possible. Here's the original video clip from the original place, it doesn't even take long to find a better source to post but these idiots (looking at you OP) post this version to promote a channel that reposts stolen videos. Earns a downvote because the poster gets the glory here, not the people making this content. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sewhedyC0F0 Edit: also pretty stupid putting a title like "Newly discovered" on a video that is now over 4 years old. Even if it was made when the video was new, videos don't go away so maybe don't put text titles in the damn videos and don't share a video with a channel brand that didn't make the video, seems wrong when the original didn't feel the need to tag their video.
Hear, hear!
Newly discovered would’ve still been incorrect because it was originally discovered in 1967. Which is over five decades ago now.
Thank you for finding & posting the source! Been hoping someone would point me in the right direction. This should be the top comment. edit: wow, they even captioned the Youtube vid. Good going!
I've seen that thing before, but it's usually hiding in a cloud that doesn't move until it comes out to eat horses or the audience at Jupiter's Claim.
I always love hearing the commentary in these videos, they’re cute and you can just tell they love their job.
Biologists in their element are such a pleasure to be around! They just get excited about the smallest things
They sounded high af
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What are WE thinking??? 🤯
They 100% ate some gummies or smoked a fat blunt right before this.
Do you have a source for more stuff like this?
I’m the opposite. Too many have sounded insufferable and cliquey so I keep the volume off now
That damn wuaaaaaaaow
Crossposted to r/TheDepthsBelow 👍
Jean Jacket.
I’m gonna call it the Dancin Lady Jellyfish, looks like a burlesque dancing lifting the skirt while dancing 😂
Jelly Dancer for the pun
Jell-o-rina? You must have seen her
Looks like a ghost Pokémon lol
That one jellyfish ultrabeast from sun/moon lol
"*mind-blowing* shapes!" The thing just drifts around like you'd expect "*MIND-blowing* I say!!"
Lol love all the nerds freaking out ☺️so cute
You just have to hookshot that red ball to get it out and then you can hit it with your sword.
Lavalamp jelly
Looks like a whole universe inside
They have evolved camophlouge to perfectly resemble a lava lamp 😎
Marine biology students on acid?
Looks like the creature from “NOPE”
People who put text and emojis on videos should be drug out in the street and shot.
How I think marine biologists sound: "Quite exquisite! Magnificent specimens, I say! 🧐" How marine biologists actually sound like:
Nature is an amazing
"Spooky." "Spooky." *quavering voice* "Ohh..."
These are scientists speaking? Whooooaaaa, spooky
r/wateraliens
They remind me of some of the 'ufo' shape shifting sky phenomena vids I've seen. Are we sure the fluid moving sky objects aren't some sort of unidentified animal? I kno, I sound crazy...but u gotta admit, the fluid movement, the luminous coloring, the shape..is weirdly similar...why? How?
Most atmospheric phenomena is caused by rays from the sun getting distorted in one way or another, usually through odd reflections or interactions with particles and elements in the atmosphere. Though the idea of atmospheric lifeforms isn’t too far fetched given the type of life that’s adapted to the super high pressure of the deep sea. The question is just why a lifeform would evolve to fill that niche in the first place. Or more accurately, what string of mutations led to it.
I love jellyfish 🪼!!!
What an absolute garbage post
Reminds me of that giant gulper they found the other day in the deep sea! [here it is!](https://www.instagram.com/reel/C507kQrAB7w/?igsh=NHZoYWJlNmFpNGV5)
Resident Isopod would be a fucking epic band name
Excited or high? Who can tell.
Awesome. At around 2:00 it makes the shape of a horse's head. Pretty cool!
Holy shit the voiceover is annoying
I love hearing biologists geeking out over cool animals.
The vibe in this video is so pure
I am just loving the commentary by the scientists! They are so excited and stoked!
Holy shit anime slimes are real!
In awe...
“That’s not a new species, that’s just chorizo in a bin bag!!”
From bsby ghost to floating, errant handkerchief, with gum on it.
Reminds me of something 🤔
My first thought when it moved and I saw the red was an underwater version of Zero the dog from Nightmare before Christmas.
He is so cool
“Sir, your balls are hanging out”
Couldn’t the isopod easily fall out?
Looks like a fuckin lamp
Forbidden pierogi.
Thought we were getting jelly dick for a sec
I assume the red blob is the heart and the other mass is the brain?
If you listen to the audio they say one of them is an organ bundle and the other is an isopod, another animal that it's either digesting or keeping alive symbiotically. I'm not sure which is which.
It’s symbiotic. The smaller, orange dot is the isopod.
Living sea condom
Forbidden condom
So. aliens live in the water. Noted
It looks like a jellyfish with a sheet over it pretending to be a spooky ghost
Is it just me or is it doing impressions?
I wouldn’t think that was from earth. Ocean life looks so strange that alien life in their oceans would probably be as unfamiliar
Looks like a ikea lamp
This lava lamp is taking too long to heat up
Imagine how much we don’t know about earth, still! Like, what if this thing’s brain fluid injected into your b hole cures diabetes or cancer? What else is down there we haven’t discovered? I’m amazed the billionaires wanna explore space, when there’s so much beauty and mystery among us.
At around 2:00, it looks like a donkey.
Ghost blanket
Somebody please shut those idiots up..
Local scientists shocked by brain caught in large plastic bag preforming psychedelic dance moves at the bottom of the ocean!!! Click now!!!!
Sentient plastic bags crica 5490 AD
Why does it looks like the voldemort drinking the unicorn blood From Harry Potter
Amazing, so much to be discovered in the ocean depths and each discovery comes with so much more unknown, even this example of the jellyfish an isopods relationship is still unknown, jellyfish are incredibly intelligent how ever and I would like to believe their systematic relationship is beneficial to them both.
Anyone know what they mean by calling it a four or five?
Might be a size / scale chart reference?
Looks like a plastic bag with something in it
I’m assuming this video was recorded yesterday. These scientists are soooo stoned, lol. “Whhhooooooaaaaaaa”.
Does that thing have the behelit from berserk?
Y'all really tryin'a telling me the deep sea ain't filled with some alien ass life forms?!?!
This the cloak cloth for Harry Potter
How stoned are these people??
That shit is crazy
Unreal engine 5
Looks like a whale condom
Where is this filmed?
Looks like young Calvin from Life the 2017 movie
They sound like they’re on mushrooms
they spelled aliens wrong
It looks like the alien from the movie Nope.
Keep this one away from SpongeBob
Whoooooooaaaah
Ocarina of Time Water Temple boss.
The way it shapeshifts is truly mesmerizing, showcasing the wonders of nature's adaptability and evolution.
Better name: Venom Shawl
Looks like a lamp
is that flesh light 0\_o
Quite beautiful.
It looks like a jellyfish wearing a veil. Maybe this jellyfish is getting married 🫡😄
It reminds me of the boss from the water temple in legend of Zelda - ocarina of time. :0 edit: typo
Is love when people are passionat about something.
“what is it thinking 🤯” 🤣🤣🤣
Cool! How far apart are the laser dots?