| Sarsia spp. Phylum Cnidaria / Class Hydrozoa / Order Anthomedusae / Family Corynidae |
This tiny hydromedusa is not much for size, with a bell
height of only 6 to 20 mm. It is fairly easy to distinguish from other
types of jellies, but several very similar species of Sarsia may coexist
in an area. Even specialists have difficulty trying to identify the
different species. The bell is marked by 4 narrow radial canals and 4
tentacles. At the base of each tentacle is an easily seen ocellus.
The manubrium is relatively long and surrounded by gonad tissue. The bell
is transparent and colorless, but other parts of the body may have tinges of
red, green, blue or orange. Sarsia tend to hang motionless with
tentacles extended to prey on small planktonic crustaceans. Hydroids form
distinctive colonies during the spring in harbors, on floats and in rocky
areas. Sarsia is found from central California to the Bering Sea,
but is not particularly common in the southern part of the range. Farther
north it can be very abundant in nearshore surface waters from spring through
fall.
All photographs © David Wrobel and may not be used or copied without permission!