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Bolinopsis infundibulum

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description Bolinopsis infundibulum Overview

Bolinopsis infundibulum is a lobate comb jelly, or ctenophore, found in cold and temperate waters of the North Atlantic and adjoining seas. Although its transparent, gelatinous body resembles that of a jellyfish, it belongs to the phylum Ctenophora and moves using rows of beating cilia called comb plates. It feeds on planktonic animals such as copepods and can also consume fish eggs, with local populations sometimes forming dense aggregations.

help Bolinopsis infundibulum FAQ

Is Bolinopsis infundibulum a jellyfish?

No — despite its transparent, gelatinous bell-like body, it is a ctenophore, or comb jelly, from the phylum Ctenophora rather than Cnidaria. It propels itself with eight rows of beating cilia called combs, which true jellyfish lack entirely.

Can Bolinopsis infundibulum sting you?

No, it is harmless to humans because it has no cnidocytes, the stinging cells jellyfish use. Instead it feeds by trapping small plankton on mucus-coated surfaces of its oral lobes.

Where is Bolinopsis infundibulum found?

It lives in cold and temperate waters of the North Atlantic and adjoining seas, including northern European waters such as the North Sea. Swimmers and divers there sometimes encounter it drifting near the surface in summer.

Does Bolinopsis infundibulum glow?

Like many ctenophores, it can produce flashes of blue-green bioluminescence, especially visible along its comb rows when disturbed at night. This light show is one of the most distinctive traits of comb jellies.

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