The abyssal comb jelly (Beroe abyssicola) patrols the midnight zone searching for its favorite food—other comb jellies. When Beroe find their next meal, rows of tiny hair-like cilia lining their mouths act like teeth, helping them grip onto prey before taking a bite—or sometimes swallowing another comb jelly whole.
MBARI researchers have learned that gelatinous animals like Beroe play a much bigger role in deep-sea food webs than scientists once realized. By analyzing nearly 28,000 hours of deep-sea video, we've documented hundreds of feeding interactions, revealing that jellies, comb jellies, and siphonophores are not just graceful drifters; they're important predators and prey in the ocean's midnight zone.