Of the more than 150 ctenophore species, the oceanic ctenophore Eurhamphaea vexilligera is notable for its bright orange-yellow ink, secreted from numerous small vesicles that line its substomodeal comb rows. To date, in situ observations by scuba divers have proved the most fruitful method of observing these animals’ natural behavior. We present the results of one such contemporary scuba-based observation of E. vexilligera, conducted in the Gulf Stream waters off the coast of Florida, using high-resolution photography and video. Utilizing underwater camera systems purpose built for filming gelatinous zooplankton, we observed E. vexilligera ink release and swimming behavior in situ. From these data, we describe the timeline and mechanics of E. vexilligera ink release in detail, as well as the animal’s different swimming behaviors and resulting ink dispersal patterns. We also describe a rolling swimming behavior, accompanied and possibly facilitated by a characteristic change in overall body shape. These observations provide further insight into the behavioral ecology of this distinctive ctenophore and may serve as the foundation for future kinematic studies.

中文翻译：

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大洋栉水母 Eurhamphaea vexilligera 的墨水释放和游泳行为

在超过 150 种栉水母物种中，海洋栉水母 Eurhamphaea vexilligera 以其明亮的橙黄色墨水而闻名，这种墨水是从排列在其亚模态梳排上的许多小囊泡中分泌出来的。迄今为止，水肺潜水员的原位观察已证明是观察这些动物自然行为最有效的方法。我们使用高分辨率摄影和视频展示了在佛罗里达州海岸附近的墨西哥湾流水域中对 E. vexilligera 进行的一种现代水肺观察的结果。利用专门用于拍摄凝胶状浮游动物的水下相机系统，我们观察了 E. vexilligera 的墨水释放和原位游泳行为。从这些数据中，我们详细描述了 E. vexilligera 墨水释放的时间线和机制，以及动物不同的游泳行为和由此产生的墨水扩散模式。我们还描述了滚动游泳行为，伴随着整体身体形状的特征变化，并可能促进了这一变化。这些观察提供了对这种独特栉水母的行为生态学的进一步洞察，并可能作为未来运动学研究的基础。