Malta - Alien? Sea worm? Or something completely different? A fascinating creature was photographed in the Mediterranean. The creature is several meters long and glows reddish-blue.

Diver Leli Scerri photographed the creature at the end of March off the coast of Malta at a depth of 20 to 30 meters. Sightings have been increasing since then. The people of Malta want to know what it is.

Marine biologist Alan Deidun has the explanation. "This is a giant state jellyfish(Praya dubia)," writes the researcher on Facebook.

The animals are among the largest on our planet and grow longer than a blue whale, although they are only as thin as a broomstick, the scientist explains.

In 2020, a giant state jellyfishwas measured off the coast of Australia , which is possibly the longest animal ever: 45 meters!

Although the animals actually live at depths of 700 meters to 1000 meters, where they hunt crabs, small fish and other jellyfish, they return to the surface of the sea, where they never cease to amaze.

Not only is the animal hugely long and an agile swimmer, it also glows reddish-blue in the dark. Scientists call this phenomenon bioluminescence. This is how they attract their prey, explains Alan Deidun.

But the animals should never be underestimated. Giant jellyfish are covered with small tentacles that release a strong poison and are extremely painful for humans. However, there are no known deaths associated with giant jellyfish.

The scientist now wants to find out why there have been several sightings off Malta in recent weeks. According to the researcher, they actually avoid the surface of the water and waves are hard on their fragile bodies.