Mysterious Purple Sea Creature Spotted at Bottom of the Gulf of Mexico

Scientists have discovered a rare purple jelly fish deep down the Gulf of Mexico as they explored the ocean on the E/V Nautilus research vessel.

The mysterious looking siphonophore, a member of the phylum Cnidaria, was swimming at the bottom of the sea when captured on camera by scientists led by Titanic discoverer Robert Ballard, NatGeo reported.

According to the report, the deep sea creature is actually a well-organised cluster of smaller organisms called the Zooids.

The sting of the purple creature is reportedly very painful.

The YouTube description for the video reads:

"This beautiful colonial organism drifted past Hercules' cameras, and we followed it for as long as we could keep track. They are made up of many smaller animals called zooids, and can be found floating around the pelagic zone in ocean basins around the world. One famous siphonophore species is the deadly Portugese Man O' War."

According to Natgeo, the zooid can grow to 130 to 160 feet (around 40-50 meters), making it the longest creature in the world.

"Each zooid is an individual animal, but they all have adapted to fill specialised roles," Croff Bell, the chief scientist of the Nautilus Exploration Program, told the website.

"For example, some are for protection, some are for eating, some are for reproduction, and some even 'bioluminesce,' or light up to attract food," he continued.