|
Atlanta: Charles Bray took this picture of these sea nettles that can swim against any current with the oral arms and tentacles extended. Swimming by means of jet propulsion by squeezing their bell, sea nettles push water behind them so they can move up and down in the ocean. Most of the time, they just float. Sometimes they even pick up hitchhikers, such as small fish and crabs which hide inside the sea nettle's bell. Don’t be fooled by the beauty and grace of the Pacific sea nettle. Its golden bell and long undulating red tentacles are equipped with thousands of painful stinging cells called nematocysts. The nematocysts lodge tiny paralyzing barbs into prey, making it impossible for escape. Long white oral arms hanging from the centre of the bell begin digestion as they transport the prey to the nettle’s mouth.
|
North America
