Many fans of science fiction dream of the day when humans will travel to other planetary systems and meet aliens for the first time. However, it’s not unreasonable to embrace the notion that aliens are already here on Earth. Many species already known to science fit the description well.
Lampocteis cruentiventer, common name bloodybelly comb jelly, is a very recent discovery. The first time humans laid eyes on L. cruentiventer was in 1979, in the Pacific near San Diego. Scientists only got around to a formal description and classification in 2001. Very little is known about this new discovery. L. cruentiventer doesn’t sting, but it is a predator, although unlike other jellyfish, it’s not totally transparent. It’s stomach is opaque, and may be a deep red, black, purple, or pale purple in color. It has been theorized that this opaqueness conceals recent bioluminescent meals the bloodybelly may have eaten, preventing being seen by other predators who would in turn eat L. cruentiventer and its glowing lunch.
The Monterey Bay Aquarium has bloodybellys in captivity, and you can download wallpaper from them for your favorite computer display.
Scientific Classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Ctenophora
Class: Tentaculata
Order: Lobata
Family: Lampoctenidae
Genus: Lampocteis
Species: L. cruentiventer
Binomial name: Lampocteis cruentiventer
(Harbison, Matsumoto and Robison, 2001)
“Bloodybelly Comb Jelly” (1:42)
“Weird and Wonderful: The bloody-belly comb jelly, a deep-sea fireball” (1:30)
“Bioluminescence in the deep sea: How and why do animals create their own light?” (4:07)
