Bhubaneswar, May 28: Researchers have found one jelly fish from the Rushikulya estuary as well as the Gopalpur Sea.

The newly recorded jelly fish called as Netrostoma coerulescens popularly called as crowned jellyfish was recorded by marine biologist Debasish Mahapatro.

“This is the first time ever to record such a magnificently ornamented jellyfish from the east coast of Bay of Bengal. This species was earlier recorded in the form of dead carcasses in the outer channel area of Chilika Lake during February 2020. 

However during 12th and 13th May 2020 massive live and dead gelatinous bunch of crowned jellyfish Netrostoma coerulescens were found and collected from scattered upto four kilometre Ruhsikulya estuary and Gopalpur on sea respectively. Theis species is actually restricted to Arabian Sea and record very rare at Chennai coast. However, there is no authentic report on the occurrence at entire Odisha coast,” said Mahapatro.

Mahapatro further said that there is no available information regarding its potency of the toxin impact on the coastal biodiversity in general and marine fisheries in particular. “Frequent occurrence of jelly fish bloom might be a consequence of global related sea surface temperature rise.An integrated research is required to understand its role on the ecosystem and on biodiversity,” he added.

Mahapatro attributed presence of the jelly fish to the ban of fishing trawler and fishing net in Bay of Bengal for Covid-19. “The ban might have helped the jelly fish to grow because of the rich abundance of their preferred food i.e. is plankton and fish larvae.

Besides it might have they migrated from the southern coast of India through the coastal and oceanic current,” said Mahapatro.