"EXTINCT" JELLYFISH FOUND BY A TOURIST IN SCOTLAND

A rare species, Depastrum cyathiforme, believed to have been extinct for nearly 50 years, was spotted by a tourist exploring the Scottish coasts. The unexpected discovery has now been confirmed by scientists.

For almost 50 years, there had been no news of Depastrum cyathiforme, a stalked jellyfish whose unique appearance resembles a thistle flower. The last sighting was in Roscoff, northern France, in 1976, and scientists feared the jellyfish had become extinct worldwide. That was until a tourist exploring rock pools in South Uist, an island in Scotland's Outer Hebrides, found four of these strange creatures attached to rocks, much like sea anemones. The discovery was made two years ago, but confirmation only came in recent weeks after verification by experts.

A 50-Year "Lost" Jellyfish Resurfaces

The man photographed the strange jellyfish, only to realize later that it was a species thought to be extinct. What's more, his were the very first photographs of this jellyfish, which had previously only been depicted in historical drawings and paintings. Its "rediscovery" was revealed by the journal British Wildlife, after a new survey successfully located a specimen of Depastrum cyathiforme on the Scottish island. Experts are now hopeful that a stable population exists.

Although very rare, its presence was reported in southwestern British waters in the 19th century by naturalists including marine biologist Philip Henry Gosse, who named it the "chalice lucernaria." By the mid-20th century, the jellyfish disappeared from British coasts, with the last sighting there dating back to 1954 in Devon. Neil Roberts, the tourist who found the specimens, said he initially mistook them for an "unusual-looking" anemone. After searching online and finding nothing similar, he contacted experts.

Depastrum cyathiforme was sighted again by Guy Freeman, editor of British Wildlife, who traveled to South Uist this summer to conduct a new search. "When Neil first shared the photos, it was like seeing a ghost," said Freeman. "This thing that had only ever existed in old drawings was suddenly there, in the flesh. It’s really encouraging that the jellyfish was still there this summer, two years after Neil's discovery, but now we need to expand the search and find out if it survives anywhere else."