Clytia spec. 1

Schuchert, Peter & Collins, Richard, 2021, Hydromedusae observed during night dives in the Gulf Stream, Revue suisse de Zoologie 128 (2), pp. 237-356 : 312-314

Clytia spec. 1

Fig. 46C

Examined material: BFLA4240 ; 1 female; 11-NOV- 2019; size 7 mm, with gonads; preserved in alcohol for DNA extraction; 16S sequence MW528690 . – BFLA4283 ; 1 specimen; 06-DEC-2019; size 10 mm, with gonads; preserved in alcohol for DNA extraction; 16S sequence identical to MW528690 . – BFLA4342 ; 1 female; 29-FEB-2020; size 15 mm, with gonads; part preserved in formalin and deposited as UF-013895 , part preserved in alcohol for DNA extraction; 16S sequence identical to MW528690 .

Observations: Typical Clytia medusae, bell slightly shallower than hemisphere, diameters when mature 7 to 15 mm. Manubrium urn shaped, with four long perradial lips, margin undulated. Four radial canals. Gonads thick, ovoid to oblong, in middle of radial canal, about 1/5 of radial canal length. 18 to 22 tentacles arising from ovoid bulbs, 0 to 4 small atentaculate bulbs. Usually 2, sometimes 1 or 3, statocysts between pairs of bulbs, 2 statoliths per statocyst. Colour: radial canals in all three specimens with brilliant green colour.

16S Data: The three samples gave all the same 16S sequence that did not show any sufficiently supported relationship to other Clytia medusae in the Campanulariidae 16S dataset of Cunha et al. (2017). A blastn search in GenBank gave Clytia islandica MF 000548 as best match with 91% sequence identity.

Remarks: These medusae look like a typical Clytia hemisphaerica . The only notable feature are the green radial canals. This alone, however, cannot be used as a diagnostic feature and it is likely variable as in other hydromedusae. It was not possible to identify the species with any Clytia from Florida mentioned in Mayer (1900, 1910). The hydroid stage of this species must first be found to allow a naming and complete description of the species.

Figures

Fig. 46. Clytia ssp. (A-B) Clytia linearis, BFLA4077, bell dimeter 3.5 mm. (C) Clytia spec. 1, BFLA4283, bell diameter 10 mm. (D)? Clytia spec. 2, BFLA4274, 3 mm; arrow points to incomplete centripetal canal. (E)? Clytia spec. 2, BFLA4269, 4 mm. (F)? Clytia spec. 2, BFLA4253, 3 mm, has 5 complete radial canals. (G)? Clytia spec. 2, doubled manubrium of animal photographed 06-DEC-2019, 6 mm bell, not collected.