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Raskoff, Kevin A.
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, CA 95039 and Department of Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Box 951606, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1606
The narcomedusa Solmissus is a dominant predator in the mesopelagic zone of Monterey Bay, CA. Foraging behavior, prey capture, and diet composition were examined from in situ observations made by the MBARI ROV Ventana. The characteristic tentacle-first swimming behavior of the narcomedusae is shown with numerous variations on the theme. It is thought this posture facilitates the capture of large bodied gelatinous prey, which are hypothesized to be its principle diet. Gut content observations show that gelatinous organisms make up almost 90% of the identifiable prey items. Of the gelatinous component, ctenophores are the largest group comprising over 70% of diet. Analysis of the vertical distribution of Solmissus show that although this medusa has a wide range of occurrence (surface-1000+ meters), the bulk of the population resides in a narrow band. Average depth of the medusae in 1991 was 295 meters (SD 93.3; n=960), with over 80% of the population found between 200 and 400 meters depth. Preliminary day vs. night averages suggest a daily vertical migration of the population, as has been shown for Solmissus in other locations.
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