Red-eye Medusa

Red-eye Medusa (Polyorchis penicillatus)

This Red-Eye Medusa had drifted into nearshore kelp at Refugio Beach. They are said to prefer eelgrass beds, of which there are a few off Refugio Beach. The red spots contain light-sensing organs, as well as red pigment. They add a touch of fashion. The interior structure looks kind of like a banyan tree, but is part of the digestive system, helping to distribute nutrients throughout the medusa. Red-eye Medusas are found along the east Pacific Coast from the Aleutians to Baja California.

They are Hydrozoans, and so are in the same taxonomic class as hydroids.

I photographed this in March 2007, on a beach dive. I took the F5 and housing in through the surf, despite the accepted wisdom that the sand on the coastal beaches of the Santa Barbara Channel is fine enough to get into the housing seals. The sand did not cause the housing to leak, although some controls felt kind of gritty afterwards. I used Fuji Velvia 100, with a 60mm lens and two YS-120 "photon howitzers".