The jellyfish, described as a "whopper" by scientists, was found by a family walking on a beach in southern Tasmania.
Lisa-ann Gershwin with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) told ABC Local Radio that while the species has been seen before, it is technically unclassified and new to science.
"It's a whopper. We do get large jellyfish and this one just happened to be this absolutely enormous specimen," she said.
"I do hear from time to time people tell me 'we found this one that was really big', but this one really is, really big.
Gershwin, who has been working on jellyfish for 20 years, said the 1.5 metre (4ft 11in) specimen is probably the biggest the state of Tasmania has ever seen.
The jellyfish was spotted by the Lim family at a beach in Howden, south of Hobart, last month.
"We were at the beach looking for shells and dad was like 'Whoa! Look at that'...I kind of touched it...It was pretty cool," said 12-year-old Xavier Lim.
Gershwin said the jellyfish is not dangerous, but it can sting.
"It's not life-threatening, but it will sting you, it will wake you up," she said.
Gershwin already has a name picked out for the new species and is now working to get it classified.
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
