Texas residents and visitors have been surprised to spot multiple pink meanie jellyfish on the shores, a species distinguished by its bright pink coloration and extraordinarily long tentacles reaching up to 70 feet.
Jace Tunnell, who oversees community engagement at the Harte Research Institute, shared videos and photos describing the pink meanie’s predation on moon jellyfish, their favored prey during seasonal blooms in the Gulf of Mexico.
Though their sting is mild and not seriously harmful to humans, the jellyfish’s massive size—reaching over 50 pounds—is staggering.
The pink meanie was first documented as a new species in 2011, generating excitement among scientists intrigued by its unique taxonomic standing, the first new jellyfish family established in nearly a century.
These appearances highlight how oceanic biodiversity remains a frontier of scientific discovery.
