This species was named in honor of Sir Charles Wyville Thomson, chief scientist on the Challenger expedition.

[7] Marine biologist Edith Widder created a device based on the Atolla jellyfish's distress flashes called the E-jelly, which has been used successfully and efficiently to lure in mysterious and rarely seen deep-sea animals for filming and documentation.

The device's mimicry of the live animal was such that it successfully lured in a giant squid in an expedition financed by Discovery Channel and NHK to find the creature.

[8] The body of Atolla wyvillei has a bell shape, of around 20–174 mm (0.79–6.85 in) in diameter, and is rimmed by several moderately long tentacles,[clarification needed] including a single, long, hypertrophied tentacle, which has several purposes, including aid in predation as well as aid in reproduction.

There has been evidence of them found in The deep ocean in a depth from 1,000 to 4,000 m (3,300 to 13,100 ft), an area commonly called the "Midnight Zone" (Unknown, 2013).

Thus, the ability to extent its tentacles to catch prey is only found in the specific species that live in the depths, even though this trait is not guaranteed for all of them.

A close relative of Atolla species, the crown jellyfish is eaten as a delicacy in Japan (Seaunseen, 2014).