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This marine biology photograph captures a California sea gooseberry (Hormiphora californiensis), showcasing this translucent ctenophore that represents one of the most elegant examples of gelatinous zooplankton found in Pacific Coast waters. The composition highlights the creature's characteristic oval body and distinctive comb rows that create iridescent rainbow patterns as they beat in coordinated waves to propel the animal through the water column. Shot to emphasize the sea gooseberry's remarkable transparency and delicate beauty that makes ctenophores among the most ethereal marine organisms, the image documents this important planktonic predator that uses its sticky colloblast cells rather than stinging nematocysts to capture small prey, representing the unique evolutionary path that distinguishes comb jellies from true jellyfish while playing crucial roles in marine food webs as both predators of copepods and prey for larger marine animals.