Jellyfish?

[Soggy]

anyone know what kind of jellyfish have been overrunning Pebble Beach and other sites recently?

Are they dangerous? I've been swimming right through them (not like I had any choice!)

They are small (fist sized at largest) and glow purplish

 

[Spectre]

These guys?

I'm guessing your referring to the comb jellies... Leidy's comb jelly I believe is what they are. They actually aren't really jellyfish, they don't have tenticles. But they are really cool to watch, and even better at night with the bioluminescence.

 

[Soggy]

That's them...

I'll get to see them at night on Wednesday during my night diving class! Woohoo!

 

[Spectre]

AaronBBrown once bubbled...
I'll get to see them at night on Wednesday during my night diving class!

A passage from my field guide:

Leidy's Comb Jelly
Identification aid: Take off your glove and smack 'em. If you experience a stinging sensation, go to the true jellyfish section. If at night, line up for the smack and smack 'em after you douse your light. Enjoy the green glow as they tumble into the abyss. Don't stick around too long 'cause they might come back with friends [please refer to the 'squid' and 'lobstah' section].

 

[raxafarian]

 

[Spectre]

raxafarian once bubbled...
when's this guide coming out?

It's gonna be a while. Issues with my health insurance sort of limit me to only a few research dives a year before I have to start paying the bills myself...

 

[MSilvia]

If they catch the light just right, the radially symmetrical cillia structures that run down their side will diffract light into some pretty cool rainbow patterns. Could be a good photo subject with a macro lens.

They also voraciously eat other jellyfish up to half their size.

Information courtesy of my 12th grade marine biology class... I must have paid attention that day.

 

[MSilvia]

I did a fantastic evening/night dive off Sandy Cove in Cohasset (no, it's not in the guide book) last night, and was caught off-guard and completely startled when a large comb crashed into my mask and exploded in blue bioluminescence.

The rest of the dive, despite a max depth of 12' at LOW tide, was incredible. Lots of shorts and a monsterous berried female lobster before the sunset was more than a half hour gone. I also saw tremendous diversity of (mostly juvenile) fish, including pout, sea ravens, a sea robin, grubby sculpin, a large skate, and most of the usual cast of locals excepting flounder.

I was diving around some of the large protruding rocks that are a moderate to short surface swim from shore. I saw some old, heavy chain, but lost the end in the thick eel grass on the swim back. Since I was diving solo (with a spotter), I opted not to go in after it.

 

[adshepard]

Leidy's (Mnemiopsis leidyi) are found from Cape Cod south to the Carolinas, the Common Northern Comb Jelly (Balinopsis infundibulum) is found from the Arctic down to Cape Cod. The one's in the Cape Ann area are common Northerns. You willalso find some Beroe's Common Jellys in cape Ann too. They are pinkish and feed on the Common Northern Com Jelly.

DSDO

Alan