Crawling Comb Jelly (Coeloplana meteoris)

Also known as Benthic Comb Jelly, Benthic Ctenophore, Creeping Ctenophore

Description

Also known as Benthic Comb Jelly, Benthic Ctenophore, Creeping Ctenophore.

Found over mud and sand bottoms, or near the surface drifting in the sea, and washed up on beaches.
They feed on zooplankton.
Length - 3.6cm
Depth - 0-20m
Widespread Indo-Pacific

The Comb Jelly is a hermaphrodite, found, in almost every ocean of the world. Their body is made up of "comb rows" eight rows of ciliary (hair) plates, used for propulsion, these generate the beautiful rainbow colours!
Despite its delicate and perhaps innocent appearance, the sea gooseberry is a voracious predator. Two retractable tentacles, sometimes reaching a length of 20 times the body diameter, are used to catch any prey that floats by! Unlike a jellyfish, comb jellies have no poison to paralyze their prey.
They in turn, are preyed on by crustaceans.
Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platyctenida

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