Red-eye Medusa

Description

The red-eye medusa is a tiny jelly named for the ruddy eye shadow it wears around its eyespots. While it can't see as clearly as we can, these ocelli allow it to pick up on light and orient itself accordingly. It lives in bays and coastal waters from the Aleutian Islands to the Sea of Cortez, often near eelgrass. By day it stays near the seabed, perching on its tentacles to feed on small crustaceans and worms, and at night it swims up into the water column.