Aequorea victoria

We now have some Aeqorea victoria (Crystal jellies) from the Monterey Bay Aquarium. These hydromedusae are found off the North American west coast of the Pacific ocean, from the Bering Sea to southern California. Crystal jellies are bioluminescent and emit blue-green light from their outer bells.  One of the proteins they use to produce this light, a green fluorescent protein (GFP), is often used in experiments as a biological marker. The scientists who isolated GFP from A. victoria won a Nobel Prize in 2008.

Little medusae swimming around. The manubrium (stalk-like structure dangling from the center of the jelly) can move back and forth. We are feeding them brine shrimp and rotifers right now.

-Jacqueline Brockhurst