Cosmetirella davisi ( Browne, 1902 )

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

Cosmetirella davisi ( Browne, 1902)

Tiaropsis davisii: Browne 1902: 281 .

Cosmetirella davisi: Kramp 1959 a: 144 , fig. 176; 1961: 152.

Description: Two specimens from two stations. Umbrella hemispherical, slightly broader than tall, without apical projection; up to 7.7 mm in diameter. Exumbrella surface smooth. Mesoglea thin. Velum narrow. Peripheral canal and four radial canals present; radial canals narrow, unbranched; without centripetal canals. With 96 marginal tentacles connected to peripheral canal, arising from slightly swollen bulbs on umbrella margin. Tentacles long, hollow, unbranched, filiform. Margin without atentaculate swellings or rudimentary bulbs; marginal cirri absent.Tentacle bulbs without spurs, without excretory papillae or pores; lateral cirri absent. Manubrium flask-shaped, with narrow base, extending perradially, short and not reaching to velum, without perradial lobes, not connected to radial canals by mesenteries. Mouth simple, short, with slightly crenulated lips. Gastric peduncle absent. With eight, open statocysts. Without ocelli on tentacular bulbs. Four gonads, linear, may be sinuous, extend along subumbrella surface of radial canals, for up to 2/3 length, not reaching to manubrium.

Material examined: H5069.

Comments: This is the only species in this genus.

Distribution: Worldwide in cold temperate and polar waters. This is the first record from the west Indian Ocean, though it has been reported south of the Cape of Good Hope (Kramp 1957) and along the west coast of South Africa ( Millard 1975). Neritic.