Washing in with the waves

This was a working weekend for me, so I didn't have much time for pictures.  But I took a quick walk on the beach late this afternoon and noticed a few interesting gelatinous animals washing in with the waves.

I've come to expect Aglauropsis aeora during calm, warmer water conditions in the summer.  Today the ocean reached 14.5°C (58°F) , so I wasn't surprised to see this beautiful hydromedusa.  These images were taken quickly in a small field aquarium.

 

 

I posted better pictures of this species last August.  To see those and to learn a little more about Aglauropsis, click here.

Interestingly, there were quite a few ctenophores (comb jellies) washing in today.  They looked like sea gooseberries (Pleurobrachia sp.), but I'm not used to seeing them at this time of year.  I wondered if they might be a different species of sea gooseberry than the one we see during the winter/spring? 

For the record, I also saw a few large salps (Thetys vagina) and at least one large Giant Bell Jelly (Scrippsia pacifica).