A new species doesn’t always emerge from some unexplored corner of the ocean. Sometimes, it has been right in front of scientists, hiding behind a familiar name. Researchers studying box jellyfish near Singapore have now identified one such case: a highly venomous species previously mistaken for another jellyfish.A closer look at both their bodies and DNA revealed that the Singapore jellyfish was actually a species of its own. The two species look remarkably similar, making the mix-up understandable. But researchers found an important physical difference. Chironex blakangmati lacks certain branched canal structures at the bottom of its bell-shaped body found in C. yamaguchii and other known Chironex species. These structures are located within parts of the jellyfish called perradial lappets, which help reinforce the muscles involved in swimming. Genetic differences between the animals provided further evidence that the Singapore specimens belonged to a separate species. Is JellyFish even a realy “fish”?
