iii. About the Cover

The comb jellyfish — or Ctenophora — has been swimming in both shallow and deep waters for nearly 500 million years.

While just as seemingly alien as other jelly species, comb jellies are especially unusual, boasting a completely transparent body with groups of cilia — or “combs” — arranged in rows along the axis of the jelly’s body. While appearing to be a bioluminescent species, these jellies only appear to glow as their moving cilia scatter the light, causing a glowing rainbow-like effect.

Perhaps most incredibly — and much like Metal’s own low-level, low-overhead features — these jellies’ bodies use only what they need to live and produce their amazing shading effects: They have no stomach, intestines or lungs, and they are known to have one of the most basic nervous systems of any multicellular animal on the planet.

You can learn more about comb jellies and see them in action in this video clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTFskdKVNs4