On occasion, deep-water jellies, like this species, make excursions to near-surface habitats.  Annatiara is a cosmopolitan dweller, but rarely seen.  At times you may find it in shallow waters of Monterey Bay and other West Coast locations, but due to its delicate constitution, Annatiara is usually observed in poor condition.  It's an inconspicuous jelly, with transparent bell up to 2.5 cm diameter.  A distinctive feature of the bell are the tracks of nematocysts that run from each tentacle base.  The mouth has 4 ruffled lips and is not held on a gastric peduncle.  Whitish gonads with vertical folds blanket the stomach, and partially cover the 4 broad radial canals.  Up to 44 tentacles of varying sizes line the bell margin.  Each of the tentacle bulbs has a red ocellus.    

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 ]