Laodicea undulata ( Forbes & Goodsir, 1851 )

Buecher, Emmanuelle, Goy, Jacqueline, J, Mark & Gibbons, 2005, Hydromedusae of the Agulhas Current, African Invertebrates 46, pp. 27-69 : 60-61

Laodicea undulata ( Forbes & Goodsir, 1851)

Thaumantias undulata: Forbes & Goodsir 1851: 313 , pl. 10, fig. 7.

Laodicea undulata: Kramp 1959 a: 136 , fig. 153; 1961: 141.

Description: Two specimens from two stations. Umbrella as flattened hemisphere, broader than tall, without apical projection; up to 7.8 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 approx. 200 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, but marginal cirri may be present (tend to get lost on preservation). Tentacle bulbs with abaxial spur, without excretory papillae or pores; lateral cirri absent. Cordyli present, arranged singly between tentacles. Manubrium quadrate, small, bearing short perradial lobes, not connected to radial canals by mesenteries. Mouth simple, short, quadrate, with slightly crenulated lips. Gastric peduncle absent. Without statocysts. With ocelli on some tentacular bulbs. With four gonads, sinuous and folded, extending from manubrium along entire length of subumbrella surface of radial canals.

Material examined: H5062, H5065.

Comments: see L. fijiana .

Distribution: Widespread in tropical and temperate waters of Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Previously recorded by Millard (1975) from along the east coast of South Africa. Recorded as L. indica from along the south-east coast of Africa (Kramp 1965; Millard 1975) and in the Mozambique Channel (Bouillon 1978 b). Epi- and mesopelagic.