How do comb jellies capture prey and swim?

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Group of fallow deer (Dama dama) stags with large, palmate antlers standing alert in a green summer field. — Animal The fallow deer (*Dama dama*) has been introduced in many areas ever since the Neolithic Period.

Comb jellies, or ctenophores, are marine invertebrates that utilize specialized structures for movement and feeding.

Locomotion

Comb jellies swim using eight vertical rows of cilia arranged in transverse plates called combs. These comb rows extend along the surface of the body. When the cilia beat, the effective stroke is directed toward the statocyst—a sense organ located at the aboral end—which propels the animal through the water with its oral end (where the mouth is located) moving forward.1

Prey Capture

Many comb jellies, particularly those in the order Cydippida, capture prey using a pair of long, retractable tentacles. These tentacles are equipped with specialized adhesive cells known as colloblasts. When prey organisms come into contact with these cells, they adhere to a sticky secretion produced by the colloblasts, allowing the comb jelly to secure its food.1