Don’t be fooled by the beauty and grace of this jelly.

The dinner plate jelly (Solmissus spp.) is one of the ocean’s top predators. This denizen of the deep has an appetite for other gelatinous animals. Jellies, comb jellies, siphonophores, salps—they are all on the menu for Solmissus. In fact, this jelly has one of the most diverse diets of all midwater animals—so far, we have seen Solmissus eating 21 different types of gelatinous prey.

A hungry dinner plate jelly swims with tentacles held forward. Most jellies are passive predators who drag wispy tentacles behind their bells to catch food that gets trapped in their wake. But the dinner plate jelly relies on stealth to capture food. 

Swimming with those tentacles out in front allows Solmissus to catch their prey by surprise. Before prey can sense the pulses of the approaching predator, the jelly’s crown of tentacles snares a meal. Forward-pointing tentacles also help the dinner plate jelly catch animals with long tentacles or skinny bodies, like raking up twigs in the lawn.

Tiny stinging cells on the jelly’s tentacles fire microscopic harpoons that stick like Velcro to slippery prey. The tentacles curl under, bringing their catch to the mouth beneath the bell, then slowly unfurl to snatch their next meal.

Solmissus is one of the most common jellies that we encounter in the depths of Monterey Bay’s submarine canyon. Our researchers have revealed the abundance, and importance, of jellies in the deep sea.

Using underwater robots, we can observe delicate deep-sea drifters without damaging them or disrupting their behaviors. We now know that jellies are some of the dominant predators in the ocean’s inky depths. They are also a food source for many animals and offer shelter in an endless expanse of open water.

Human actions like fishing, pollution, mining, and climate change threaten to unravel the complex web of life that thrives below the ocean’s surface. 

Our everyday actions impact the deep ocean. Choosing sustainable seafood, avoiding single-use plastic, and reducing your carbon footprint can all help our ocean. Together, we can grow a community of ocean champions committed to protecting the deep sea and its inhabitants.