Massive sea monster caught on oil rig cam

joepistole said:
Looks like a blanket octopus.
Click to expand...

Comparing the two, they don't look like each other at all.

Blanket Octopus:

blanket_octopus.jpg
 
I think it's a dead something-or-other. Internal organs (I think) show up around 4/5 of the way through; seems like an octopus that's had the mantle and head removed by something. That or the stalk-ish thing visible indicates it was sessile, whatever the hell it was. Fairly big though.

I'll go with blanket octopus that has met its maker.
 
GeoffP said:
I think it's a dead something-or-other. Internal organs (I think) show up around 4/5 of the way through; seems like an octopus that's had the mantle and head removed by something. That or the stalk-ish thing visible indicates it was sessile, whatever the hell it was. Fairly big though.

I'll go with blanket octopus that has met its maker.
Click to expand...

I would agree with that analysis. You can see at around the 4:45 mark where the mantle and head should be.

pulpo-manta-568x333.jpg
 
The video was made in 2012. You would think the creature would have been identified, and it has. It's called Deepstaria reticulum and is a jellyfish.
 
The "massive" part is an illusion. These jellyfish are about 30cm fully grown.

There seems to be some disagreement about the species although it's a Deepstaria (I wonder if that name is related to the name of an oil rig somewhere?), it's also been labelled D. enigmata.
 
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