A jellyfish species feared extinct has been rediscovered in a rock pool in the Outer Hebrides, nearly 50 years after its last recorded sighting. The depastrum cyathiforme, which resembles a thistle flower, was found by tourist Neil Roberts while on holiday in South Uist, Scotland, in June 2023.
The species was believed to be globally extinct, with its last recorded sighting in northern France in 1976. In the UK, it vanished in the mid-20th century, last seen in Devon in 1954. Previously recorded by British naturalists, including marine biologist Philip Henry Gosse, it was known only from historic drawings.
Neil Roberts said he was “well chuffed” that experts recently confirmed his photos as depastrum cyathiforme. Guy Freeman, editor of British Wildlife magazine, remarked: “When Neil first shared the photos it was like seeing a ghost. This thing that had only ever existed in old drawings was suddenly there, in the flesh.”
The discovery has sparked hope the species may have repopulated the UK. Allen Collins, a stalked jellyfish expert at the Smithsonian Institution, called it “a remarkable find” and expressed optimism that more individuals will be found. The jellyfish was first recorded in the UK in 1846 on the Isle of Arran and subsequently on six Scottish islands and the Isle of Man.
