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The By-the-Wind Sailor, while appearing to be a single organism, is actually a colony of many individual polyps (zooids). Some of the polyps (called dactylozooids) are specialized for stinging and capturing prey (copepods, fish eggs, etc.), others (called gastrozooids) are specialized for digesting the prey, and some (called gonozooids) are specialized for reproduction. The colony is suspended from a semi-rigid, air-filled float that is made of chitin. The disc bears a translucent sail. The sail is attached diagonally across the top of the colony and enables the By-the-Wind Sailor to catch the wind and drift across the ocean's surface. These creatures are common along the coast of California and may be blown ashore in great numbers. This specimen was floating in a bed of brown seaweed at Pillar Point, near Half Moon Bay, along the San Mateo County Coast. Esta medusa flotante es conocida come El Navegante por el Viento. Tiene un exoesqueleto hecho de quitina, con un flotador lleno de aire y una vela clara. La vela esta pegada de manera diagonal por el medio de cuerpo de la medusa, que ayuda al animal usar el viento. Es una medusa común en la costa de California y puede ser soplada a la playa en grandes números. Esta fotografía fue tomada en Pillar Point, cerca de Half Moon Bay, por la costa del Condado de San mateo. Este Navegante por el Viento estaba flotando en un cama de algas café.
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A top-view of the
By-the-Wind Sailor
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Another top-view
of the By-the-Wind Sailor.
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A ventral or
bottom view of the By-the-Wind Sailor. Note the the
tentacle-like polyps.
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