Sea Gooseberry Larva

Beating Cilia of Comb Jelly Combs
(Gerd A. Guenther / Nikon Small World)

These beautiful wisps are the hair-like cilia of a sea gooseberry larva, a common type of comb jelly, which beat in rhythm to row the comb jelly through the water. When fully grown, sea gooseberries (Pleurobrachia sp.) are voracious predators, gobbling up fish eggs and larvae, small mollusks, copepods, and other sea gooseberries. The image, taken at 500x zoom, took 8th place in the 2012 Nikon Small World photomicrography competition.

Tags: Zooplankton Anatomy Under the microscope Photography