Morbakka sp.

Aspe, Nonillon M. & James, Samuel W., 2017, Pheretima monotheca, Zoological studies 55 (35), pp. 1-19 : 6

Morbakka sp.

( Fig. 1a )

Class: Cubozoa

Family: Carukiidae

Genus: Morbakka ( Gershwin 2008)

Description: This species has four tentacles that are simple and long, with nematocysts that cause painful stings. The species lacks gastric phacellae. The transparent exumbrella is taller than it is wide, rectangular, with a flat apex. The bell diameter ranges from 40 - 120 cm. The species possesses “rabbit-ear”-like rhopaliar horns which are diagnostic of the genus Morbakka ( Bentlage and Lewis 2012) . The rhopaliar horns are swollen rather than pointed at the tips and project from the top centre of the rhopaliar niche at a more oblique angle, very similar to those of Morbakka virulenta ( Bentlage and Lewis 2012) . It also has thorn-like extensions at the bases of their pedalial canals and numerous branching velarial canals with lateral diverticula.

Distribution and habitat: The species was found in the mangrove areas of Klang Strait and was caught in a single sampling trip. It is suspected to be more common in the southern Straits of Malacca, although a similar looking but damaged jellyfish specimen was also found in Pantai Melawi, east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The geographic distribution of Morbakka includes Japan ( Morbakka virulenta ), Philippines ( Morbakka sp. ), and Australia ( Morbakka fenneri ).

Figures

Fig. 1. Jellyfish species collected in Malaysian waters. Cubozoan jellyfish; Morbakka sp. (a), Chiropsoides buitendijki (b); Scyphozoan jellyfish; Acromitus flagellatus (c), Catostylus townsendi (d), Cephea cephea (e), Chrysaora chinensis (f), Cyanea sp. (g), Lobonemoides robustus (h), Mastigias sp. (i), Phyllorhiza punctata (j), Rhopilema hispidum (k) and Rhopilema esculentum (l).