Laodicea undulata ( Forbes & Goodsir, 1853 )

Peter Schuchert, 2017, Systematic notes on some leptomedusa species with a description of Neotima galeai n. spec. (Hydrozoa, Cnidaria), Revue suisse de Zoologie 124 (2), pp. 351-375 : 353-354

? Medusa cruciata Forsskål, 1775: 110 , pl. 33 figs A, a1-a2.? Medusa crucigera Gmelin, 1788: 3158 , new name for Medu-

sa cruciata Forsskål, 1775 .

? Medusa cacuminata Modeer, 1791: 26, new name for Medusa

cruciata Forsskål, 1775 .

Laodicea crucigera . ‒ Lesson, 1843: 294, new genus.

Thaumantias undulata Forbes & Goodsir, 1853: 313 , pl. 10 figs

7a-d.

Thaumantias confluens Forbes & Goodsir, 1853: 314 , pl. 10 fig.

8a-d.

Thaumantias mediterranea Gegenbaur, 1857: 237 , pl. 8 figs

1-3.

Laodicea calcarata L. Agassiz, 1862: 350 .

Cosmetira punctata Haeckel, 1864: 334 . ‒ Haeckel, 1879: 132,

synonym.

? Cuspidella costata Hincks, 1868: 210 , pl. 40 fig. 5. – Watson,

2005: 501, fig. 3A-B.

Laodice ulothrix Haeckel, 1879: 133 , pl. 8 figs 5-7.

? Ptychogena longigona Maas, 1893: 64 , pl. 6 figs 7-9. ‒ Browne, 1907: 474. – Kramp, 1919: 35, doubtful species.

Laodicea bigelowi Neppi & Stiasny, 1911: 396 . – Neppi & Stiasny, 1913: 38, pl. 3 figs 30-31. – Kramp, 1961: 142.

Laodice cruciata . ‒ Mayer, 1910: 201, figs 104-105, pl. 21 figs 4-5, pl. 22 figs 2-6, pl. 23 figs 1-3. – Neppi & Stiasny, 1913: 37, pl. 3 figs 27-29.

Laodicea undulata . – Russell, 1936: 581, figs 1-7, hydroid stage. – Russell, 1953: 230, figs 123-131, pl. 14 figs 1-3. – Kramp, 1959a: 135, fig. 153. – Kramp, 1961: 141. – Goy, 1979: 272, fig. 12. – Pagès et al., 1992: 28, fig. 29. – Ramil & Vervoort, 1992: 28, fig. 2w-g. – Cornelius, 1995: 99, fig. 22.

Material examined: MHNG-INVE-31753, originally 2 specimens in ethanol, one used for DNA extraction; France, Villefranche-sur-Mer , Ligurian Sea, Mediterranean, 43.686°N 7.317°E, depth 2-70 m ; collection date 11.05.2001; DNA isolate 125; 16S sequence FJ550471 , 18S FJ550390 . ‒ 3 specimens; France, Villefranche-sur-Mer , 43.686°N 7.317°E, depth 0-70 m ; collection date 0 4.04.2005. ‒ 2 specimens; France, Villefranche-sur-Mer , 43.686°N 7.317°E, depth 0-70 m ; collection date 28.04.2014; used for RNA extraction. ‒ 1 specimen; Sweden, Kristineberg , 58.24385°N 11.43230°E, 0 m depth, collection date 03.10.2014; DNA isolate 1137; 16S sequence KY363963 , COI MF000514 , 18 S KY363985 . ‒ 1 specimen; France, Bay of Villefranche-sur-Mer , 43.6963°N 7.3075°E ; collection date 25.04.2016; DNA isolate 1151; 16S KY363967 .

For archived photos of specimens see Table 1.

Diagnosis: Umbrella 10-37 mm wide, usually 10-20 mm; flatter than hemisphere; stomach quadratic, short, with four folded lips; four long, sinuous gonads along radial canals, contiguous with stomach; 100-300 tentacles, basal bulbs faintly developed, with abaxial spur; adaxial ocellus usually on every third to fifth tentacle; spiral cirri, usually one between successive tentacles; cordyli distinctly club-shaped, without nematocysts, usually one between successive tentacles, no statocysts.

For polyp stage see Cornelius (1995).

Remarks: The specimens from the Mediterranean had 60-80 tentacles, the North Sea specimen 280.

Distribution: Eastern Atlantic and adjacent waters from Iceland and northern Norway to South Africa; western Atlantic from Nova Scotia to Tierra del Fuego; Mediterranean ( Kramp, 1968). Some occasional records from the Indo-Pacific ( Pages et al., 1992) require a re-evaluation ( Kramp, 1955b: 253; see also below under L. indica ). Type locality: The Minch, Scotland.

Figures

Fig. 2. Laodicea undulata after living medusa from the Mediterranean. (A) Lateral view. (B) Oral view. (C) Bell margin seen from oral side. Abbreviations: ci ‒ cirrus, cc ‒ circular canal, cor ‒ cordylus, ex ‒ exumbrella, rc ‒ radial canal, te ‒ tentacle.