''Bathocyroe fosteri'' is a species of lobate

ctenophore Ctenophora (; ctenophore ; ) comprise a phylum of marine invertebrates, commonly known as comb jellies, that inhabit sea waters worldwide. They are notable for the groups of cilia they use for swimming (commonly referred to as "combs"), and ...

found at intermediate depths in all the world's oceans. The species is very common and abundant near the

Mid-Atlantic Ridge The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is a mid-ocean ridge (a divergent or constructive plate boundary) located along the floor of the Atlantic Ocean, and part of the longest mountain range in the world. In the North Atlantic, the ridge separates the North Ame ...

. It is

bioluminescent Bioluminescence is the production and emission of light by living organisms. It is a form of chemiluminescence. Bioluminescence occurs widely in marine vertebrates and invertebrates, as well as in some Fungus, fungi, microorganisms including ...

, and is typically observed hanging motionlessly in an upright or inverted posture although it can flap its oral lobes to swim. This deep-sea comb jelly is named for

Alvin (DSV-2) ''Alvin'' (DSV-2) is a crewed deep-ocean research submersible owned by the United States Navy and operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. The vehicle was built by General Mills' Electronics Grou ...

pilot Dudley Foster, who collected the first specimens.

Description

''Bathocyroe fosteri'' is mostly transparent with red pigmented inner gut walls. It has short comb rows and measures 2–4 cm across the oral lobes. These oral lobes are used to contain prey until they are drawn into the gut with its tentacles.

References

External links

OurAmazingPlanet.com, Gallery: Creatures from the Census of Marine Life
Tentaculata Bioluminescent ctenophores Animals described in 1978 {{ctenophore-stub