Jellyfish galaxy candidates at low redshift
  Galaxies that are being stripped of their gas can sometimes be recognized
from their optical appearance. Extreme examples of stripped galaxies are the
so-called ``jellyfish galaxies'', that exhibit tentacles of debris material
with a characteristic jellyfish morphology. We have conducted the first
systematic search for galaxies that are being stripped of their gas at low-z
(z=0.04-0.07) in different environments, selecting galaxies with varying
degrees of morphological evidence for stripping. We have visually inspected B
and V-band images and identified 344 candidates in 71 galaxy clusters of the
OMEGAWINGS+WINGS sample and 75 candidates in groups and lower mass structures
in the PM2GC sample. We present the atlas of stripping candidates and a first
analysis of their environment and their basic properties, such as morphologies,
star formation rates and galaxy stellar masses. Candidates are found in all
clusters and at all clustercentric radii, and their number does not correlate
with the cluster velocity dispersion sigma or X-ray luminosity L_X.
Interestingly, convincing cases of candidates are also found in groups and
lower mass haloes (10^{11}-10^{14} M_{sun}), although the physical mechanism at
work needs to be securely identified. All the candidates are disky, have
stellar masses ranging from log M/M_{sun} < 9 to > 11.5 and the majority of
them form stars at a rate that is on average a factor of 2 higher (2.5 sigma)
compared to non-stripped galaxies of similar mass. The few post-starburst and
passive candidates have weak stripping evidence. We conclude that the stripping
phenomenon is ubiquitous in clusters and could be present even in groups and
low mass haloes. Further studies will reveal the physics of the gas stripping
and clarify the mechanisms at work.
