Some new and previously unrecorded Scyphomedusae (Cnidaria: Scyphozoa) from southern Australian coastal waters
Author
Gershwin, Lisa-Ann
Author
Zeidler, Wolfgang
text
Zootaxa
2008
1744
1
18
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.274217
927255e3-71ba-48d3-b594-f0bb3d28eccf
1175-5326
274217
Paraphyllina
sp.
Material examined
. AM G16042, east of Brush Island,
NSW
,
35° 36’S
150° 55’E
, FRV
Kapala
, JP
77-13
,
27.x.1977
; female,
36.8 mm
BD. AM G16026, same collection data as AM G16042, seven specimens (BD 21.5, 35.8, 33.6, 37.1, 26.5, 29.1 &
13.8 mm
).
Remarks.
This is the first record of a species of
Paraphyllina
from
Australia
. These specimens differ morphologically from forms previously described by
Maas (1903)
and
Russell (1956a)
, and studied meticulously by
Russell (1970)
.
Periphyllina
is characterized by W-shaped gonads and a dome-shaped central disk, as well as perradial rhopalia, separating it from
Periphylla
which has interradial rhopalia. Our identification of the New South
Wales
medusae as a species of
Paraphyllina
was based on the rhopalia being perradial; however, these specimens possess the following combination of atypical characters: male gonads were distinctly U-shaped, female gonads were tear-drop-shaped, the pigmented stomach region was distinctly conical, and all specimens possessed a conspicuous apical spire. Furthermore, phacellae were unusual, being cruciform along the attachment corners of the stomach. Phacellae are cruciform between attachment corners of the stomach in
Periphylla
, but triangular in the attachment corners of the stomach in
Paraphyllina
.
While our form seems to differ from those previously described, proper description requires comparative study with overseas
types
, as well as collection of fresh material, both beyond the scope of this paper.