Malo filipina, Bentlage & Lewis, 2012

Bentlage, Bastian & Lewis, Cheryl, 2012, An illustrated key and synopsis of the families and genera of carybdeid box jellyfishes (Cnidaria: Cubozoa: Carybdeida), with emphasis on the “ Irukandji family ” (Carukiidae), Journal of Natural History (J. Nat. Hist.) 46 (41 - 42), pp. 2595-2620 : 2608-2612

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.1080/00222933.2012.717645
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:6AFA1E11-810D-4829-8751-A65D41FAF3EC
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/B9D0532E-2FC0-4395-9BBC-94473FB3F01F
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:B9D0532E-2FC0-4395-9BBC-94473FB3F01F
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Malo filipina
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Malo filipina View in CoL sp. nov.

( Figures 4D, E View Figure 4 , 5 View Figure 5 , 6 View Figure 6 )

Carybdea rastonii Mayer (1910: 508–9 View in CoL later became USNM 27937 ∗); Mayer (1915: 170; USNM 27937 ∗ and USNM 28714); Mayer (1917: 187–8; USNM 27935, USNM 27936, USNM 27937, USNM 28714); ∗ we were unable to locate and inspect USNM 27937.

Material examined

Holotype. USNM 27935 View Materials , female 32 mm BH, 13 mm IRW, Nasugbu , Luzon, The Philippines.

Paratypes. USNM 28714 View Materials , male 30 mm BH, 16 mm IRW, Taal Anchorage , Luzon, The Philippines ; USNM 1150373 View Materials , male, 40 mm BH, 15 mm IRW, Nasugbu , Luzon, The Philippines ; USNM 27936 View Materials , male 37 mm BH, 18 mm IRW, Mansalaya , Mindoro, The Philippines .

Type locality

Nasugbu, Luzon, The Philippines.

Etymology

The species name indicates the geographic origin and gender of the holotype.

Diagnosis

Malo of 30–40 mm BH; bell densely covered with nematocyst warts. Pedalia with thorn-like extension at pedalial canal bend. Tentacular cnidome consisting of microbasic p-mastigophores and microbasic p-euryteles.

Description

Carybdeid medusa, bell taller than wide with leaf-like gonads in mature individuals ( Figure 5A View Figure 5 ). Exumbrella with regularly spaced nematocyst warts ( Figure 5A View Figure 5 ). Maximum BH about 40 mm (observed range from 30 to 40 mm in mature individuals) and maximum IRW about 18 mm (observed range from 13 to 18 mm in mature individuals). Stomach reaching deep into subumbrella, suspended with well-developed mesenteries ( Figure 5B View Figure 5 ); gastric phacellae absent. Upper half of mesenteries well developed while lower half extends cord-like to rhopaliar window ( Figure 5B View Figure 5 ). Manubrium short, extending one-third of bell height into subumbrellar cavity; with smooth and somewhat rounded lips ( Figure 5B View Figure 5 ). Four muscular brackets (frenulae) brace the rightangle connection from tip of rhopaliar window to three-quarters the distance between velarial turnover and its margin on each perradius; each frenulum consisting of one solid gelatinous sheet ( Figure 5C View Figure 5 ). Perradial lappets broad, triangular, not reaching subumbrellar edge of velarium, with one row of two to four nematocyst warts on each side ( Figures 4E View Figure 4 , 5D, E View Figure 5 ). Three or four velarial canals per octant; velarial canals appear as digitiform projections (some branched) from a single root giving a palmate appearance to velarial canals ( Figure 5D, E View Figure 5 ). Four to six velarial warts per octant. Pedalia with scalpel-shaped inner keel and distal overhang ( Figure 5F View Figure 5 ); pedalial canal thorn-shaped ( Figure 5G View Figure 5 ). Nematocyst warts present on abaxial portion of pedalia ( Figure 5F View Figure 5 ), but most warts appear to have rubbed off. Rhopaliar niche ostium frownshaped with short, broad and blunt rhopaliar horns ( Figures 4D View Figure 4 and 5H View Figure 5 ). Each of the four rhopalia bears two median lens eyes; lateral eyes not visible due to poor condition of specimens. It is unclear if the lateral pigment and slit eyes are not present or if the pigment has faded over time, leaving only the two central lens eyes discernible.

Cnidome

Nematocysts collected and measured from USNM 28714. Distal tentacle tip: rodshaped, microbasic p-mastigophores (L 27.2- 31.5 -36.4 µm, W 11.6 - 13 -14.2 µm, n = 20; Figure 6A View Figure 6 ). Proximal tentacle/tentacle base: rod-shaped, microbasic p-mastigophores (L 38.8- 40 -43.8 µm, W 12.8 - 15.6 -17.7 µm, n = 20; Figure 6B, C View Figure 6 ); oval, microbasic p-euryteles (L 29.4- 30.5 -31.3 µm, W 16.5 - 16.8 -17.4 µm, n = 5; Figure 6D, E View Figure 6 ). Exumbrellar warts: large, spherical isorhizas (L 28.5- 32 -40.5 µm, W 27.1 - 29.4 -32.9 µm, n = 20; Figure 6F View Figure 6 ); oval, microbasic p-euryteles (L 30.6- 34.3 - 36.6 µm, W 20.4 - 22.1 -24.3 µm, n = 8; Figure 6G, H View Figure 6 );?rod-shaped, microbasic p-mastigophores (L 36.7- 38.6 -40.1 µm, W 15.3 - 16 -17.2 µm, n = 10; Figure 6I View Figure 6 ).

Differential diagnosis

Malo filipina is most likely to be confused with M. maxima from Western Australia, especially because both species are of similar size. Malo filipina ’s tentacular cnidome contains both microbasic p-mastigophores and microbasic p-euryteles whereas M. maxima possesses only the former. We observed the following nematocysts in tentacles of a specimen of M. kingi ( USNM 1125368), the third species in the genus: spherical isorhizas (average L 26 µm, average W 21 µm), microbasic p-mastigophores (average L 36 µm, average W 13 µm), and amastigophores (average L 7 µm, average W 5 µm). Furthermore, the shape of the pedalial canal bend allows distinction among the species of Malo . Malo maxima lacks a spike or thorn-like extension at the proximal bend of its pedalial canal bend whereas M. filipina possesses a spike at the pedalial canal bend ( Figure 5G View Figure 5 ). Malo kingi also lacks the thorn-like extension of M. filipina . Several specimens of M. kingi seem to display halo-like bands on their tentacles ( Gershwin 2007); no such structures were observed in M. filipina .