Rare bluefire jellyfish found in Bay of Fundy

A rare bluefire jellyfish was pulled out of the Bay of Fundy this week.

Jellyfish are a common sight along Maritime coastlines. Stroll along almost any beach, and you’re bound to see one with a red or purple hue.

But a rare bluefire jellyfish was recently found in the Bay of Fundy and some experts say it’s the first of its kind found in the Maritimes.

The Huntsman Marine Science Centre in St. Andrews, N.B. showcases some of the most interesting life forms on the planet, but the bluefire jellyfish is catching everyone’s attention.

“It’s common in the UK, Ireland, and certainly parts of the North Sea,” says aquarium manager Jim Cornall. “And even though it’s more common there, it’s still not a very common jelly, even in those waters.”

Cornall isn’t certain how the bluefire made its way west across the Atlantic Ocean. He says there are some east-west currents, but it’s most likely that it hopped a ride on a boat bound for North America.

“The early indications would be that it is an occasional visitor…this may still be the first time that it has been in the Gulf of Maine and the Bay of Fundy,” he says.

The blue hue in the creature occurs naturally, unlike the aquarium’s blue lobster, which gets its colour from a genetic variant.

Still, its appearance creates an opportunity for the scientific community, although studying the rare find will have to happen quickly because jellyfish, regardless of their colour, don’t live long.

“This size is the maximum size that they would reach, which also indicates that it’s very close to the end of its life cycle,” says Cornall. “And the other indicator is that as they grow old, they get much more blue, and this is pretty much as blue as they get.”

Maxine Westhead, a marine biologist from the Bedford Institute of Oceanography, visited the aquarium at St. Andrews today. She says she considers herself fortunate to have been able to see the rare jellyfish.

“It’s like being able to see a half blue and half brown lobster,” she says. “It’s just something unique, and yeah…I’m glad I’ve seen it.”

The bluefire jellyfish will remain at the aquarium for the rest of its short life.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Andy Campbell