Laodicea pulchra Browne, 1902

Buecher, Emmanuelle, Goy, Jacqueline, J, Mark & Gibbons, 2005, Hydromedusae of the Agulhas Current, African Invertebrates 46, pp. 27-69 : 60

Laodicea pulchra Browne, 1902

Laodicea pulchra: Browne 1902: 280 ; Kramp 1961: 141; 1968: 66, fig. 170.

Description: Three specimens from two stations. Umbrella as flattened hemisphere, broader than tall, without apical projection; up to 5.4 mm in diameter. Exumbrella surface smooth. Mesoglea thin. Velum narrow. Peripheral canal and four radial canals present; radial canals narrow, with smooth margin, unbranched; without centripetal canals. With up to 50 marginal tentacles connected to peripheral canal, arising from small, slightly swollen bulbs on umbrella margin. Tentacles long, hollow, unbranched, filiform. Margin without atentaculate swellings or warts; marginal cirri absent. Tentacle bulbs without basal spurs, without excretory papillae or pores; lateral cirri absent. Cordyli present, arranged in clusters of 3–4 between tentacles. Manubrium fairly large, bearing four large perradial lobes that extend more than half-way to bell margin, not connected to radial canals by mesenteries. Mouth simple, broad, with four slightly crenulated lips. Gastric peduncle absent. Without statocysts. With ocelli on each tentacular bulb and cordylus. With four gonads, sinuous and folded, extending from centre of manubrium along entire length of subumbrella surface of radial canals.

Material examined: H5063, H5064.

Comments: Although this is typically considered a sub-Antarctic species, the combination of highlighted features (above) is diagnostic.

Distribution: Cold temperate waters of Southern Hemisphere. This is the first record from the west Indian Ocean. Neritic.