Lots of small hydromedusae joining the ctenophores here

Description and Comments

There are lots of small jellies (nearly all are about 1-4 cm diameter) in the plankton now in Friday Harbor. The most abundant species are the hydromedusae Mitrocoma cellularia (still immature) and Phialidium gregarium (see photo of 2 cm diameter individual) and the ctenophore Pleurobrachia bachei. The ctenophores Bolinopsis ?infundibulum, Euplokamis dunlapae, and hydromedusae Sarsia spp. including Sarsia princeps, and Eutonina indicans are easy to find, but less abundant. Jelly species that are uncommon, but you can usually find one or two, include the hydromedusae Neoturris breviconis, Catablema nodulosa, Bougainvillia princeps, Mitrocomella polydiademata, Aequorea victoria, Aglantha digitale, Stomotoca atra, Aegina citrea, the siphonophore Nanomis, and the ctenophores Dryodora glandiformis and an undescribed, pink-tentacled mertensiid. There are also a few 1" Tomopteris worms and pteropods Clione limacina and yesterday we saw two juvenile Lion's Mane jellyfish, Cyanea capillata. When the sun shines, you can see swarms of copopods alongside the floats.

Author

Type of organism

Jellyfish
mixed gelatinous zooplankton

Quantity

100

Latitude

48.54

Longitude

-123.01