#mbari

#mbari

Atolla reynoldsi: New Species of Deep-Sea Crown JellyThe deep-sea crown jelly Atolla is one of the most common residents of the ocean. Its bell has a signature scarlet color and bears one tentacle much longer than the rest. So 15 years ago, when MBARI researchers spotted a jelly that looked like Atolla, but lacked the telltale trailing tentacle, their curiosity was piqued. The new discovery is relatively large compared to other species of Atolla. The largest specimen ever collected was 13 centimeters (5.1 inches) in diameter, making this newly discovered species, called the A. reynoldsi, one of the largest in the genus. The “crown” in A. reynoldsi has warty papillae and spiked ridges. It also has a distinct gut that is shaped like a Greek cross.The new species is named after Jeff Reynolds, the first volunteer at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and honors the contributions of Aquarium volunteers to inspiring conservation of the ocean. “This is such an honor to have this new species named after me. It also honors all the fantastic Aquarium volunteers over the decades, I was just the lucky one to be there so early on,” said Reynolds.#CrownJelly #NewSpecies #Atolla #MontereyBayAquarium #MBARI

The Cockeyed Strawberry SquidThe Monterrey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) introduces us to Histioteuthis heteropsis, or the strawberry squid. You might notice that this animal has one huge green eye, and one small blue eye. It's not disabled. This is how they all are. They evolved two very different eyes for different uses in the "twilight zone." That's where this squid lives, and the area between shallow water that gets sunlight and the deepest depth where light doesn't reach.The big left eye looks upward to spot shadows cast by prey in the dimly lit waters above. The eye’s tubular shape helps collect as much downwelling light as possible. Often, this eye has a yellow lens to see through the luminescent camouflage of its prey. The squid’s right eye is small and looks downward. This eye searches for flashes of bioluminescence produced by prey or predators lurking in the darker waters below. This squid is sometimes called the cockeyed squid for the remarkable difference in size between the two eyes.The footage was captured by the ROV Doc Ricketts 725 meters (2,378 feet) down in Monterey Canyon off the coast of California. -via Laughing Squid (of course)#squid #eye #MBARI