US EditionJapanese Students Discover New Venomous Jellyfish in Warming Northern Waters
The new Physalia mikazuki species was transported northward by the Kuroshio Current, expanding its range and highlighting climate-driven changes in marine ecosystems.
- On October 30, 2025, a team of student researchers at Tohoku University identified Physalia mikazuki, a new venomous species collected at Gamo Beach, Sendai Bay.
- Amid rising sea temperatures and shifting currents, warm water from the Kuroshio Current recently extended north and may have transported Physalia colonies to Sendai Bay, while simulations showed surface currents carrying particles from Sagami Bay to Sendai in 30 days and Aomori in 75 days.
- Kei Chloe Tan said morphological and DNA work confirmed the new species distinct from tropical relatives, while Chanikarn Yongstar recorded unique body structures, and Muhammad Izzat Nugraha ran particle simulations matching Tohoku drift.
- With tentacles capable of stretching several meters and delivering painful stings, monitoring helps protect swimmers and beachgoers, highlighting the need for coastal monitoring and public education.
- This revelation shows two species coexisted unnoticed until one reached the Tohoku region, providing new insight into marine ecosystem changes affecting surface-drifting Physalia genus beyond Okinawa to Sagami Bay.
12 Articles
12 Articles
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Science Daily
ecotopical.comJapan’s new “samurai jellyfish” is simply stunning
Scientists in Japan have discovered Physalia mikazuki, a previously unknown species of Portuguese man-of-war, in northern waters for the first time. DNA and anatomical analysis confirmed it as distinct from tropical relatives. Ocean simulations suggest warming currents transported it northward, offering new clues about changing ecosystems. The find underscores both marine adaptation and safety concerns for beachgoers.
Researchers in Japan discover new jellyfish species deserving of a samurai warrior name
A student-led research group from Tohoku University has discovered a new species of the venomous Physalia (commonly known as Portuguese man-of-war) that has never been seen before in northeast Japan. This revelation suggests that warming coastal waters and shifting ocean currents are influencing the distribution of marine organisms in northeastern Japan.
Frontiers | Physalia mikazuki sp. nov. (Phylum Cnidaria; class Hydrozoa) blown into Japan’s northeast (Tohoku) at the whim of marine ecosystem change
The discovery of Physalia mikazuki sp. nov. from the temperate waters of Gamo Beach, Sendai Bay (Miyagi Prefecture) in the Tohoku (northeast) region of Japan...
Japanese Researchers Uncover New Jellyfish Species, Naming It After a
In a captivating revelation shedding light on the dynamic shifts occurring in marine ecosystems, a team of student researchers from Tohoku University has identified an unprecedented species of venomous siphonophore within the genus Physalia, renowned commonly as the Portuguese man-of-war. This novel species, hitherto
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