Eucheilota paradoxica Mayer, 1900

Buecher, Emmanuelle, Goy, Jacqueline, J, Mark & Gibbons, 2005, Hydromedusae of the Agulhas Current, African Invertebrates 46, pp. 27-69 : 61-62

Eucheilota paradoxica Mayer, 1900

Eucheilota paradoxica: Mayer 1900 b: 56 , pl. 40, figs 134–136; 1910: 285, pl. 37; Kramp 1961: 175.

Description: Six specimens from three stations. Umbrella essentially hemispherical, taller than broad; may have small apical projection; up to 2.3 mm in height. Exumbrella surface smooth. Mesoglea thin. Velum narrow. Peripheral canal and four radial canals present; radial canals narrow, unbranched; without centripetal canals. With four perradial marginal tentacles connected to peripheral canal, arising from swollen, conical bulbs on umbrella margin. Tentacles long, hollow, unbranched, filiform. Margin with atentaculate swellings or rudimentary bulbs; marginal cirri absent. Marginal bulbs without spurs, without excretory papillae or pores; lateral cirri present. Manubrium flask-shaped, narrow, short and not reaching to velum, without perradial lobes, not connected to radial canals by mesenteries, unpigmented. Mouth simple, with slightly crenulated lips. Gastric peduncle absent. With eight, closed statocysts. Without ocelli on tentacular bulbs. Four gonads, swollen, situated along middle portion of subumbrella surface of radial canals, not reaching to manubrium; may support medusa buds.

Material examined: H5068.

Comments: Seventeen species are recognised by Bouillon and Boero (2000 b). These can be separated by examination of the number of statocysts, tentacles, marginal bulbs and cirri. Two other species are known from the Indian Ocean: E. menoni Kramp, 1959 has been recorded off India ( Menon 1932), Mozambique and the Seychelles (Kramp 1965), and E. ventricularis McCrady, 1857 was identified by Kramp (1959 c) in the Gulf of Siam.

Distribution: Widespread but scattered in tropical and subtropical waters. Previously recorded by Bouillon (1978 b) from around the Seychelles and in the Mozambique Channel. Neritic.