Saint Martin was discovered and named by Cristóbal Colón during his second voyage to the Americas. Spain’s lack of interest in the island provided opportunity for the Dutch and French to establish settlements. Spain briefly expelled the intruders, but in 1648, the Dutch and French returned and agreed to share the island.
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Cestum veneris - The Venus girdle, a comb jelly, is the only species contained in the Cestum genus. The ribbon shaped body glides through the sea through muscular undulation or by use of the cilia, small hairlike structures. The rows of cilia are found on one side and the mouth is located on the other. It grows to lengths ranging from .8 to 1.5 meters. The transparent body has iridescent edges and will display a bioluminescence effect when disturbed. The Venus girdle has a small set of tentacles near the mouth to assist in catching prey.
