(Fukuyama University / Zookeys via SWNS)
By Stephen Beech
A newly discovered jellyfish species has been named after the Michelin restaurant guide.
The tiny creature - found in shallow waters off Japan - is covered in a number of distinctive brown spots that increase as it grows older.
Japanese researchers likened the process to a restaurant earning more “stars” for its quality.
They named the species, only the second of its genus ever found in Japanese waters, Malagazzia michelin.
(Fukuyama University / Zookeys via SWNS)
First spotted in shallow waters of Nagasaki and Yamaguchi Prefectures, the new species has subsequently been studied in captivity, providing scientists with a complete look at its entire life cycle from polyp to adult.
Study leader Dr. Takato Izumi, of Fukuyama University, said: "Malagazzia michelin is a small aquatic invertebrate characterized by a hemispherical, transparent umbrella that typically grows to between 12 and 20 millimeters in diameter.
"While it shares the four-lipped mouth and linear gonads typical of its genus, it is easily distinguished by a peculiar feature: enigmatic brown spots that resemble tiny oil droplets scattered across its reproductive organs and central stomach."
(Fukuyama University / Zookeys via SWNS)
DNA analysis confirmed its status as a unique species which is distinct from other members of the Malagazzia family, according to the study published in the journal ZooKeys.
Dr. Izumi said: "The species has been aptly named Malagazzia michelin as a playful nod to the famous Michelin Guide."
He explained that, as the jellyfish matures, the number of its distinctive brown spots increases - a process that researchers likened to a restaurant earning more “stars” for its quality.
Dr. Izumi says the celestial theme is also reflected in its new Japanese common name, ama-no-gawa-kurage or Milky Way jellyfish, which compares the white gonads and twinkling brown spots to a starry galaxy.
(Fukuyama University / Zookeys via SWNS)
He said the discovery was a collaborative effort between marine biologists and staff from several prominent institutions, including the Tsuruoka City Kamo Aquarium and the Saikai National Park Kuju-kushima Aquarium.
Dr. Izumi added: "The discovery of Malagazzia michelin demonstrates the significant role that aquariums play as centres for scientific research and biodiversity discovery.
"By strengthening ties between public exhibitions and taxonomic research, scientists continue to bring the ocean's most stellar species to light."
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