Siphonophores like Apolemia are deep-sea predators—lying in wait for unfortunate animals to blunder into their curtain of stinging cells. Their diet can include tiny crustaceans such as copepods, fish, and even other siphonophores. Although many siphonophores eat whatever they can catch, others are specialists. Some use lures to attract specific prey. Others deploy their tentacles in elaborate feeding shapes such as coils.

A bloodybelly comb jelly, the ctenophore, Lampocteis. MBARI scientist George Matsumoto described this animal for the first time in the zoological literature. Because animals that are red appear black underwater, scientists believe the bloodybelly’s red belly helps mask bioluminescent light from the prey it has swallowed. 

This bright orange ctenophore in the genus Aulacoctena was observed at a depth of over 10,000 feet.