@mbari_news: Spending some quality time with one of our favorite ctenophores to celebrate Ctenophore Day!⁠ ⁠ Ctenophores (pronounced “TEEN-o-fours”) are mysterious ocean drifters found anywhere from the ocean’s edge to the deepest parts of the ocean. Also called comb jellies, these delicate predators slip through ocean waters capturing other animals, typically using their long, sticky tentacles.⁠ ⁠ This abyssal comb jelly (Beroe abyssicola) patrols the midnight zone searching for its favorite food—other comb jellies. When Beroe finds another comb jelly, it opens its mouth wide. Rows of tiny hair-like cilia in its mouth act like teeth to help it take a bite of its prey, though sometimes a hungry Beroe will simply swallow its meal whole!⁠ ⁠ This predator prowls in dark depths where most animals can produce bioluminescence. A glowing gut would invite the attention of other predators. The crimson color of the abyssal comb jelly’s stomach absorbs the light produced by bioluminescent prey, keeping Beroe camouflaged.⁠ ⁠ MBARI researchers have learned that gelatinous animals like Beroe have a large impact on deep-sea food webs. Our archive of nearly 28,000 hours of deep-sea video contains hundreds of observations of deep-sea animals feeding. Examining these observations in detail revealed that jellies, ctenophores, and siphonophores are important as both predators and prey in the ocean’s midnight zone. #MBARI #DeepSea #DeepOcean #fyp #viral #CtenophoreDay

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Friday 04 October 2024 20:17:31 GMT