Bunodeopsis antilliensis Duerden, 1897

(Figure 2, Table 2)

non Urticina globulifera Duchassaing, 1850: 9 .

Bunodeopsis antilliensis Duerden, 1897: 7 –11, 14, Pl. I, figs. 1–4.

Bunodeopsis n. sp.: Duerden, 1898: 456.

Bunodeopsis Antilliensis [sic] Haddon, 1898: 435.

Viatrix globulifera Verrill, 1899b: 146 .

Bunodeopsis globulifera Verrill, 1900: 559 .

Material examined.— Puerto Morelos (20°51’50.72” N, 86°51’58.27” W; 6 specimens); Isla Contoy (21°28’23.0” N, 86°47’22.18” W; 20 specimens); Xcalak (18°15’54.37” N, 87°50’2.63”W; 5 specimens).

Diagnosis.—Fully expanded tentacles and oral disc 5–20 mm in diameter (Figure 2 A). Oral disc 2–4 mm in diameter, translucent, mesenterial insertions visible (Figure 2 B). Tentacles 16–46, irregularly arranged, long, smooth, contractile, transparent with white dots along entire length; tentacles deciduous, with tentacular endodermal sphincter muscle at the base visible as an internal diaphragm-like structure perforated centrally (Figure 2 B, F). Column short, 2–7 mm in diameter and 3–10 mm in height, divided into capitulum and scapus (Figure 2 C). Capitulum smooth, short and narrow, translucent. Scapus wide with globular vesicles, white to greenish-brown (Figure 2 C). Pedal disc well developed, 4–7 mm in diameter, irregular limbus, greenish-brown and translucent towards center (Figure 2 D). Mesenteries irregularly arranged in two cycles (10–14 pairs in specimens examined) (Figure 2 E): both cycles fertile; more than six pairs of perfect mesenteries; gonochoric (?), only spermatic cysts in examined specimens. No distinct siphonoglyphs. Retractor muscles weak, diffuse; parietobasilar muscles not differentiated. Marginal sphincter and basilar muscles absent. Ectodermal longitudinal muscles in distal column. Longitudinal muscles of tentacles ectodermal. Zooxanthellae present. Cnidom: basitrichs, microbasic p - amastigophores and spirocysts (Figure 2 G–P; see Table 2).

Natural history.— Bunodeopsis antilliensis is epiphytic on leaves of the seagrass Syringodium filiforme and Thalassia testudinum, between 0.5–6 m depth, in the lagoon-reef zone. The deciduous tentacles apparently are a defense reaction (Hyman 1940; Carlgren 1949). Tentacles and capitulum usually completely contracted during day, extended only at night to catch prey (Hyman 1940; Sebens & DeRiemer 1977; Cairns et al. 1986). In the Mexican Caribbean, the sting of this species has been reported as highly affecting swimmers (Milla et al. 2003).

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Distribution.— Bunodeopsis antilliensis is found along the Caribbean Sea, from Bermuda to Curaçao (see Table 1). Although B. antilliensis is reported for the Mexican Caribbean in Cozumel and Puerto Morelos reefs (Milla et al. 2003; Jordán-Dahlgren 2008), this is the first time it is reported from Isla Contoy and Xcalak reefs.

Remarks.—Two of the five valid species of the genus Bunodeopsis have been recorded in the Caribbean Sea: B. antilliensis and B. pelagica (Quoy & Gaimard, 1833) (Fautin 2011) . These species differ in a violet ring around the mouth in B. pelagica (Quoy & Gaimard 1833; Ocaña et al. 1991) absent in B. antilliensis . Viatrix globulifera (Duchassaing, 1850) has been used widely as synonym of Bunodeopsis globulifera (= B. antilliensis); however, no study so far has proven with certainty that V. globulifera belongs to the genus Bunodeopsis or any other genus (Andres 1883; McMurrich 1893; Verrill 1900; Duerden 1902a; England 1987; Stephenson 1922; Carlgren 1949, 1952; Cutress 1979). According to Fautin (2011) the genus Viatrix Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1860 is valid. Although Verrill (1900) described Bunodeopsis globulifera as a new species, if further studies prove that V. globulifera belongs to Bunodeopsis, the name B. antilliensis will have to be replaced by Bunodeopsis globulifera (Duchassaing, 1850) .