Cunina octonaria McCrady, 1859

Schuchert, Peter & Collins, Richard, 2021, Hydromedusae observed during night dives in the Gulf Stream, Revue suisse de Zoologie 128 (2), pp. 237-356 : 316-319

Cunina octonaria McCrady, 1859

Fig. 50 A-D

Cunina octonaria McCrady, 1859: 211 , pl. 12 figs 4-5. – Kramp, 1959a: 199, fig. 307. – Kramp, 1961: 282, synonymy, references. – Kramp, 1968: 128, fig. 347. – Calder, 1971: 77, pl. 8I. – Goy, 1979: 286, fig. 28. – Bouillon, 1987: 197, figs 4A-B, 7A, photos 2-4. – Bouillon et al., 1988a: 223. – Bouillon, 1999: 433, fig. 3.150. – Bouillon et al., 2004: 234, figs 144E, 145A, 149A-H. – Galea, 2007: 97 , fig. 21O. – Nogueira, 2012: fig. 15. – Nagata et al., 2014: 312 , figs 31-32.

Cunina koellikeri Müller, 1861a: 41 , pl. 4.

Foveolia octonaria . – A. Agassiz, 1865: 51.

Cunoctanthanparasitica Metschnikoff, 1882: 442.

Cunocantha octonaria . – Brooks, 1886: 361, pls 43-44, life cycle. – Mayer, 1910: 461, text figs 304-305, pl. 55 figs 1-2.

Cunoctantha octonaria var. köllikeri . – Mayer, 1910: 464, pl. 54 figs 4-9.

Examined material: 27-May-2019; 1 specimen photographed, not collected; size 7 mm, with beginning gonad maturation. – 27-NOV-2019; 1 specimen photographed, not collected; size 4 mm.

Mediterranean, France, Bay of Villefranche-sur-Mer , 43.6860°N 7.3170°E, depth 0-70 m; 1 specimen collected 24-APR-2016, used for DNA extraction, 16S sequence MW528627 .

Observations: Florida specimens up to 7 mm in GLDPHWHU, VRPHZKDW ÀDWWHU WKHQ KHPLVSKHULFDO ( Fig. 50B ), stomach circular, about half the diameter of bell, without mesoglea cone, with eight broad, manubrial pockets shaped like an isosceles trapezium, region between pockets narrow, band-shaped ( Fig. 50A ). Eight tentacles originating in middle of pocket base with a short, conical root ( Fig. 50C ); tentacles projecting from exumbrella at about ¼ between margin and apex of bell. Bell margin between pairs of tentacles lobed, with 4-5 otoporpae and statocysts.

Distribution: Widely distributed in tropical and warm-temperate parts of all oceans, including also the Mediterranean, the Chilean coast, and the South Atlantic ( Kramp, 1968; Bouillon, 1999; Bouillon et al., 2004; Galea, 2007; Nagata et al., 2014). Type locality: USA, South Carolina, Charleston Harbor.

Remarks: No DNA samples could be obtained for the Florida specimens. The Mediterranean specimen differed in having 9 or 10 tentacles and pouches (damaged), one statocyst and otoporpe per lappet, manubrial pouches U-shaped.

Figures

Fig. 50. Cunina octonaria, diameter 7 mm. (A) Aboral view of whole animal, with a crustacean on exumbrella. (B) Lateral view. (C) Close up of bell margin, note otoporpae and root of tentacle in middle, the velum is hanging downwards. (D) Oblique view from oral side. The bright spots below the otoporpae are the statocysts.