New jellyfish species found off Alicante, Spain
A new jellyfish species has been formally described in waters off El Campello, in Alicante, Spain. The species, Copula lucentia, is a tiny jellyfish measuring just a few millimeters.
The research was carried out by a team at the University of Alicante Marine Laboratory in Dénia, which is part of the university's Ramón Margalef Multidisciplinary Institute for Environmental Research. The species was formally described in 2024.
Why it matters: even in a sea that has been studied for generations, basic biodiversity is still being catalogued. Accurate species records underpin environmental monitoring, conservation planning and marine research, and they depend on specialist taxonomy work that often goes unnoticed.
For those working in marine science, environmental policy or research funding, this is a useful reminder that discovery and documentation remain core to understanding ecosystems.
Key points
- A new species was just described Scientists have formally described Copula lucentia, a jellyfish found in waters off El Campello, in Alicante, Spain.
- Tiny, but officially new The jellyfish measures just a few millimeters. It was described in 2024 by a team at the University of Alicante Marine Laboratory in Dénia.
- Why it matters The Mediterranean still holds species unknown to science. Each new record helps us understand the ocean's hidden biodiversity.