The Red-eye Medusa - Polyorchis pencillatus

One of the most beautiful jellyfish of the Pacific coast is the Red-eye medusa or jellyfish, Polyorchis pencillatus. This jelly is a type of hydromadusa belonging to the Class Hydrozoa. is often common in shallow bays with eel grass, where it seems to stay relatively local despite the tide going in and out. The red spots at the bse of each tentacle are not resolving eyes, but they do function in a kind of basic response to light. The red pigment is a light shade, and below this is a type of eye spot or receptor that detects whether the light is being received. Using this system, the jelly can both keep oriented vertically in the water, and it can select the best light conditions for feeding.