Extinct jellyfish rediscovered in Scottish isles after 49 years

A tourist rock-pooling on South Uist in Scotland’s Outer Herbrides has stumbled upon a jellyfish species that seemed to be extinct nearly 49 years ago.

The thistle-shaped Depastrum cyathiforme was last seen in France in 1976 that was only seen in 19th century drawings until now.

Neil Roberts, the amateur naturalist who discovered the extinct species initially doubted his eyes when he compared his captured photos with historic sketches. “I was well chuffed when experts confirmed it,” he said.

The photographs taken by him serve as historic proof of the survival of the species, prompting a follow-up expedition led by Roberts, Guy Freeman, the editor of British Wildlife Magazine, that located another member of the same species raising hopes of a stable population.

Freeman shared: “When Neil first shared the photos it was like seeing a ghost. This thing that had only ever existed in old drawings was suddenly there, in the flesh. It is really encouraging that the jellyfish was still there this summer, two years after Neil’s find, but now we need to widen the search and work out whether it survives anywhere else.”

In the 19th century, the stalked jellyfish was rarely seen but frequently observed in south-western British waters by naturalists.

Among them was legendary marine biologist Philip Henry Gosse, who named it “goblet lucernaria.”

However, in the mid-20th century, there were no records of any individual on British seashores, the last sighting having been on Lundy, Devon, in 1954.

Around 50 stalked jellyfish are known to science. Among them, 10 are found in British and Irish waters. They are usually less than 5cm (2in) in height and use a sucker to attach to rocks or seaweed.

Marine biologists are thrilled about this groundbreaking rediscovery. Allen Collins, a global expert on the alleged extinct species based at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC said: “This is really a remarkable find, and I was so happy to learn about it. We can now be certain that this rarely encountered species persists. I am hoping that more individuals will soon be found.”

While Christian Johnson of Outer Hebrides Biological Recording hailed it as a proof of the region’s hidden biodiversity, stating: “We are always excited when a species new to our islands is reported, but it is not every day that it is confirmed that it is one which was once feared to be extinct. This is a wonderful example of the contribution made to our knowledge of the biodiversity of the Outer Hebrides and the United Kingdom by local naturalists.”