New species of jellyfish discovered in China's waters

Hong Kong scientists announced the discovery of a new species of box jellyfish in Mai Po Nature Reserve in northern Hong Kong a few weeks ago. It was the first discovery of a new box jellyfish species from the waters of China. 　

The new jellyfish species was named Tripedalia maipoensis, or Mai Po Tripedalia, by the research team, which was led by Qiu Jianwen, professor from the Department of Biology at Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU). 　

The new species, as most other species of box jellyfish, has a transparent, colorless body and three tentacles at each of its four corners. A flat pedal-shaped structure at the base of each tentacle that looks like a boat paddle, allows box jellyfish to produce strong thrusts when contracting bodies, thus making them swim faster than other kinds of jellyfish. 　

"The discovery of some new species in China's waters can reflect that China's waters have a high level of biodiversity," Professor Qiu said on Thursday. 　

Located on the northwestern corner of Hong Kong, the Mai Po is recognized as a Wetland of International Importance under the prestigious Ramsar Convention, and it is the sixth largest mangroves in China.