The first and only scientifically studied specimen was captured from the outer edge of the Great Barrier Reef – about 43 km (27 mi) off the coast of northeast Queensland – on 2 May 1997.

[2] It was found within 5 metres (16 ft) of the surface, and the researchers who first described it speculated that it may have been relocated to the area by Cyclone Justin.

[2] Its bell measured approximately 15 cm (5.9 in) in height, and it could only be observed for several hours in an examination lab due to how delicate it was.

[2] In 2022, a jellyfish was filmed by a scuba diver off the coast of Papua New Guinea, which prompted Lisa-ann Gershwin, the marine biologist who first described the genus Chirodectes, to examine the video.

A frame-by-frame comparison between the 1997 and 2022 videos convinced Gershwin that the latter likely depicts a new species; however, as of August 2022[update], it has yet to be formally classified, and a paper has not been submitted for peer review.