If you thought those submersible videos of swordfish and sperm whales were something special, here's something right out of The Abyss.
A remotely operated underwater vehicle caught this creature floating around in the brine — commenters on YouTube are positing that it's a specimen of the Deepstaria enigmatica jellyfish, whereas other folks on Reddit are suggesting it's errant whale placenta. Any marine biologists care to chime in? (UPDATE 5/9/12: Definitely Deepstaria enigmatica.)
This outstrips the second most insane undersea video ever filmed, which is the Stygiomedusa gigantea jellyfish lurking and billowing. You can see that living monstrosity at left. Hat tip to Susan!
BONUS #1: A two-meter-long Magnapinna sp. deepwater squid off of the Gulf of Mexico. Thanks, Sigge!
BONUS #2: The real-life Abyss in North Carolina.
BONUS #3: The blanket octopus, a hilarious creature in its own right.