Invertebrates
Beroe
Beroe · also called beroe comb jelly
Lacking any tentacles at all, Beroe swims with its enormous mouth wide open, engulfing other comb jellies almost as large as itself and gripping them with rows of stiffened cilia that work like a set of teeth.
Overview
Beroe, genus Beroe, is a tentacle-less predatory comb jelly native to ocean habitat recorded across every major ocean basin worldwide. Its unusual mouth-first hunting strategy, specialised teeth-like cilia, and ability to consume prey nearly its own size make it one of the more distinctive predators found within the comb jelly group anywhere in the ocean.
A predator that skipped the tentacles
While most comb jellies rely on sticky tentacles to snare their food, Beroe has abandoned that approach entirely, evolving instead into a swimming mouth built specifically to overpower and engulf other comb jellies directly.
Status
Least Concern, remaining widespread and common across suitable ocean habitat worldwide.
Beroe: common questions
How does Beroe catch food without any tentacles?
This genus swims with its large mouth open and engulfs other comb jellies directly, using rows of specialised, stiffened cilia lining its mouth that function much like teeth to grip prey firmly as it is drawn inward.
What does Beroe eat?
This genus feeds almost exclusively on other comb jellies, engulfed whole using its wide, gaping mouth, making it one of the few predators specialised specifically on hunting other members of its own broader group.
How can Beroe eat prey almost as big as itself?
This genus is capable of engulfing other comb jellies that are nearly as large as its own body, stretching its flexible, sac-like form to accommodate unusually large meals relative to its size.
Does Beroe swim the same way as other comb jellies?
Yes, this genus swims using rows of beating comb plates covering its body, the same basic swimming method shared by all comb jellies, producing shimmering, rainbow-like light as the plates catch the sun.