Stretching out its sail-like lobes to ride the Mediterranean currents, this delicate comb jelly is trawling for food. This was a rare sight. The species is normally found with its fragile sails folded or damaged. Angel approached his subject extremely carefully. Describing it as a ‘glass butterfly’, Angel saw that ‘it folded its sails at the slightest vibration’.
This comb jelly steers itself through the water using beating rows of hair-like cilia which form combs along its cylindrical body. The combs scatter light, creating colourful iridescence. Unlike jellyfish, comb jellies do not sting. Instead they catch plankton and other small prey using sticky cells in their lobes and tentacles.
Spain
Angel is a natural history photographer, photojournalist and writer with a self-taught background in marine science. He has been featured in publications such as National Geographic and has been awarded in World Press Photo, Wildlife Photographer of the Year, GDT European Wildlife Photographer of the Year and the Big Picture. He usually works as a stills photographer, cameraman and natural history consultant to leading broadcasting companies.
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