About Mnemiopsis leidyi

Mnemiopsis leidyi, the warty comb jelly or sea walnut, is a ctenophore, originally native to western Atlantic coasts but now found throughout Europe and Asia, in waters of varying salinity and temperature. M. leidyi has a lobed body and four rows of cilia by which it moves. It can grow up to 12 cm long and 2.5 cm wide, making them the largest animals that move by means of cilia. In the absence of predators (e.g. Beroe ovata, another ctenophore) this comb jelly can drastically deplete fish populations, because it feeds on fish eggs, larvae and plankton.

The phylogenetic position of M. leidyi has been long debated, with recent studies positioning ctenophores as the sister group to porifera, placozoa, cnidaria and bilateria. The study of key biological processes, like regeneration and axial patterning, and its phylogenetic importance make the comb jelly an important model for evolutionary and developmental studies.

Picture credit (Creative Commons BY-SA 3.0): Steven G. Johnson 2008

Taxonomy ID 27923

Data source National Human Genome Research Institute

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