The mysterious wonders that lie beneath the waves once again unfolded before my eyes. As I watched in awe, this beautiful member of the cnidarian phylum pulsated through the great ocean forest of kelp at Sitka. This saucer-shaped animal swims by rhythmical contractions of a band of muscle fibers that pulls against its gelatinous bell, thereby expelling water. However, as with most plankton (those organisms whose vertical movement through the water column is at the mercy of currents, waves, and tides), this organism only swims to vary its body position within the water column to try to maximize its chance of ensnaring prey in its tentacles. This particular species belongs to a genus known as Aequorea. This Alaskan species approaches 25 cm in diameter and has a large number of radial canals, with about 1/2 to 3 times the number of tentacles in comparison to radial canals.
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 06 Sep 2001
From the Sea Lion in Alaska, 9/6/2001, National Geographic Sea Lion
- Aboard the National Geographic Sea Lion
- Alaska
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