WHATSTHATFISH
Jellyfish & hydroids

Crawling Comb Jelly

Benthoplana meteoris

Also known as: Benthic Comb Jelly, Benthic Ctenophore, Creeping Ctenophore, Coeloplana meteoris

Adult
@maridom · Lembeh, Indonesia · October 20121 / 3
01

Overview

Found over mud and sand bottoms, or near the surface drifting in the sea, and washed up on beaches.

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.

02

How to identify

Pattern
spots
Body shape
jelly
Behaviour
drifting

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

03

Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Indo-Pacific
  • Country only · 3
LIVES IN

Found over mud and sand bottoms, or near the surface drifting in the sea, and washed up on beaches.

04

Adult photos 3

05

Discussion

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    ALL STAGES
    FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

    Deep dive

    Taxonomy

    1. kingdomAnimalia
    2. phylumCtenophora
    3. classTentaculata
    4. orderPlatyctenida
    5. familyCoeloplanidae
    6. genusBenthoplana
    7. speciesBenthoplana meteoris (Thiel, 1968)

    SourcesWoRMSWikipedia

    06

    More in the family

    Platyctenida