Sarsia bohaiensis Xu, Wang, & Chen, 2022

Wang, Xiao, Chen, Xiao-Yin & Xu, Zhen-Zu, 2022, Two new species and four new records of the Sarsia tubulosa group of Sarsia (Cnidaria, Corynidae) from the Bohai Sea of China, Zootaxa 5189 (1), pp. 243-254 : 245-246

Sarsia bohaiensis Xu, Wang, & Chen sp. nov. ( Fig. 2 )

LSIDurn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 7A3A4A88-E7AC-4953-829A-69D6A1D23415

Material examined. Holotype ( FIO-HCCS01 ). One specimen from the Bohai Sea of China, station 2-2(39°55'38.0 0"N,119°42'55.00"E), depth 3.4 m, April 2020, collected by XiaoWang.

Diagnosis: Medusa subumbrella is rounded, without angular pockets. Manubrium is about two times as long as height of bell cavity, with conical apical chamber. The manubrium is divided into a long and thin serpentine part, and a distal swollen stomach with an oral tube. Gonad-free proximal portion of manubrium longer than subumbrella height, with short section covered by gonad, about 1/6 of manubrium. Radial canals enter at tops of gastrodermal chambers of bulbs without passing through mesogloea.

Description. Mature medusa is 3 mm high, with slightly smaller diameter, bell rounded to conical in shape, jelly thicker at apex than side. Interradial exumbrella nematocyst patches are faintly visible. Manubrium contains short, conical apical chamber. The manubrium is about two times as long as height of bell cavity, divided into a long and thin serpentine part and a distal, swollen spindle-shaped stomach, with an oral tube. The manubrium extends beyond the velar opening. Gonads are restricted to the serpentine part and cover a short portion, about 1/6 of manubrium. Four radial canals, stout, clearly visible, do not enter mesogloea above gastrodermal chambers of tentacle bulbs. Gastrodermal chamber bulbs are small, epidermal part is relatively high with even thickness and an abaxial ocellus. Tentacles short, about 1/4 as long as bell height in preserved specimen, with nematocyst clusters arranged in rings along the whole length,, ending in a slightly enlarged globular cluster.

Distribution: The Bohai Sea of China.

Etymology: The Latin bohaiensis means Bohai. The species epithet refers to the species locality, the Bohai Sea of China.

Remarks. This species has simple marginal tentacles, and the tentacular bulbs contain ocelli. Gonads are not interrupted, undivided. Manubrium extends beyond umbrella margin, with a thin proximal section. These features place it in the family Corynidae Johnston, 1836 , the genus Sarsia Lesson, 1843 .

Currently, the Sarsia tubulosa group of the genus Sarsia contains 9 valid species ( Bouillon et al., 2006; Schushert, 2001). This new species can be distinguished from others in the Sarsia tubulosa group by its rounded medusa subumbrella which lacks angular subumbrella pockets. Similar to Sarsia bella Brinckmann-Voss, 2000 and Sarsia densa Hartlaub, 1897 , it also has a gonad-free portion of the proximal manubrium that is longer than the subumbrella height. However, this new species differs from similar species in three ways: 1) its gonad covers only a short part of the serpentine part of the manubrium, and is about 1/3 as long as the stomach; 2) the manubrium has a swollen, spindle-shaped stomach with an oral tube at the distal end; and 3) its gastrodermal chambers contain small bulbs (see Table 1).

Figures

FIG. 2 Sarsia bohaiensis Xu, Wang, & Chen sp. nov. A and B.lateral view; C. tentacle bulbs in frontal view.; D. tentacle bulbs in lateral view.