Sugiuridae Bouillon, 1984

Wang, Xuefeng, Lin, Kun, Xu, Zhenzu, Guo, Donghui & Huang, Jiaqi, 2019, Some new Hydroidomedusa (Cnidaria) from the northern South China Sea, Zoological Systematics 44 (3), pp. 191-205 : 201

Family Sugiuridae Bouillon, 1984

Sugiuridae Bouillon, 1984: 98–99 ; Xu, 1993: 200; Bouillon et al., 2006: 398; Xu et al., 2014: 689.

Diagnosis. The family is diagnosed by: umbrella more or less elliptical, hemispherical; with up to 6 manubria (exceptionally 9), generally with 2 or 4 radial canals per well-developed manubrium; in mature animals usually all joining circular canal but often incomplete and blind canals; no centripetal canals, all canals formed centrifugally from manubria; 2–6 ovoid gonads near manubria or near umbrella margin or in the middle of some canals; marginal tentacles numerous, numerous statocysts; asexual reproduction by fission.

Remarks. The family Sugiuridae was erected by Bouillon (1984) for the monotypic genus Sugiura based on S. chengshanense ( Ling, 1937) by having up to 6 manubria and no centripetal canals. Previously, the species had been associated with the families Eucopidae , Campanulariidae and Campanulinidae ( Ling, 1937; Kramp, 1961; Sugiura, 1973 ). Boero (1980) indicated that Gastroblasta chengshanensis Ling, 1937 should not be placed in genus Gastroblasta because of its medusa without centripetal canals and hydroid not belong to type Campanulariidae . So a new family Sugiuridae was established by Bouillon (1984) to accommodate Sugiura chengshanense ( Ling, 1937) .

In previous reports ( Mayer, 1900; Kramp, 1961; Xu & Huang, 1983; Bouillon et al., 2006; Guo et al., 2008; Xu et al., 2014), the species Gastroblasta ovale ( Mayer, 1900) was reported under the genera Gastroblasta Keller, 1883 , Clytia Lamouroux, 1812 or Phialidium Leuckart, 1856 . Our reexamination shows that the medusae has 2–4 manubria and has centripetal canals absent, which are different from the type species of the genus Gastroblasta .

According to these features, Gastroblasta ovale ( Mayer, 1900) is removed from the genus Gastroblasta , and a new genus Monocanna Xu, Guo & Wang , gen. nov., is erected for G. ovale ( Mayer, 1900) . The diagnosis was adapted to fit the new scope of the family.

So far, the family Sugiuridae comprises two genera: Sugiura Bouillon, 1984 and Monocana Xu, Guo & Wang , gen. nov.

Key to medusa of all Sugiuridae genera.

1. With 2–4 manubria, all manubria along single straight radial canal.................................... Monocanna Xu, Guo & Wang , gen. nov. Up to 6 manubria present, not all manubria located along the same radial canal, but per manubrium with 3–5 radial canals ............... ........................................................................................................................................................................ Sugiura Bouillon, 1984