You probably won't see this little beauty too frequently in Monterey Bay, but it is unmistakable when making an appearance in surface waters.  As with many other narcomedusae, it holds the rigid tentacles above the bell while swimming.  Aegina is an active swimmer with a rapid, high frequency pulsation of the bell.  The bell is transparent and often colored with a yellowish tinge.  Four, and occasionally 5 or 6, tentacles protrude from the bell, which may reach a diameter of 5 cm but is usually no more than 2 cm in Monterey Bay.   Hydromedusae, comb jellies, salps and other gelatinous zooplankton fall prey to this jelly.  Aegina is widely distributed throughout warm and temperate seas. 

All photographs © David Wrobel and may not be used or copied without permission!

[ Aegina ] [ Aequorea ] [ Aglauropsis ] [ Amphinema ] [ Annatiara ] [ Catablema ] [ Aglantha ] [ Benthocodon ] [ Cladonema ] [ Clytia ] [ Colobonema ] [ Craspedacusta ] [ Crossota ] [ Euphysa ] [ Gonionemus ] [ Foersteria ] [ Eutonina ] [ Geryonia ] [ Halicreas ] [ Leuckartiara ] [ Haliscera ] [ Liriope ] [ Maeotias ] [ Melicertum ] [ Mitrocoma ] [ Modeeria ] [ Neoturris ] [ Pantachogon ] [ Pegantha ] [ Polyorchis ] [ Ptychogastria ] [ Ptychogena ] [ Sarsia ] [ Scrippsia ] [ Solmaris ] [ Stomotoca ] [ Vallentinia ] [ Velella ]