Calvadosia capensis ( Carlgren, 1938 )

Miranda, Lucília S., Branch, George M., Collins, Allen G., Hirano, Yayoi M., Marques, Antonio C. & Griffiths, Charles L., 2017, Stalked jellyfishes (Cnidaria: Staurozoa) of South Africa, with the description of Calvadosia lewisi sp. nov., Zootaxa 4227 (3), pp. 369-389 : 378-381

Calvadosia capensis ( Carlgren, 1938)

( Fig. 8 )

Lucernariopsis capensis Carlgren, 1938: 1 –6, figures 1–5; Corbin 1978: 285, 289; Grohmann et al. 1999: 386; Zagal et al. 2011: 652, 660–664; Miranda et al. 2012b: 60 –64, figures 1, 2; Miranda et al. 2016b: 16. Calvadosia capensis — Miranda et al. 2016b: 19, 34, 36.

Source of data. The original description of C. capensis ( Carlgren, 1938) was based on one specimen collected from intertidal rocks in East London, on the southeast coast of South Africa. The holotype is probably L393, from Shelly Beach, East London , Eastern Cape , South Africa (type locality). The material is listed in the “University of Cape Town Ecological Survey” (UCT). In the mid-1980s, UCT donated its museum collections to Iziko South African Museum . However UCT lent samples to specialists without loans being recorded. Iziko South African Museum’s curator could not locate the material. In addition, Carlgren (1938) prepared histological sections from this material and one slide is deposited in the Invertebrates Collection of the Swedish Museum of Natural History, catalog number NRM:EVmain:115053 ( GBIF ID 1099397008). A second individual was recorded from Brazil and is deposited in the Museum of Zoology of the University of São Paulo , Brazil, catalog number MZUSP 1566 ( Miranda et al. 2012b). To date the species is known only from these preserved specimens and it has never been seen or photographed alive, despite attempts to collect the species on April 7–8th, 2016, in tidal pools on the rock shore in East London (type locality) and Gunube (about 10km east of East London ) .

Description. (after Carlgren 1938: figures 1–5 and Miranda et al. 2012b, figure 1). Body divided into two clearly demarcated regions: calyx and peduncle ( Fig. 8 A, C–E). Calyx higher than wide, pyramidal, narrowing basally ( Fig. 8 A, C–E). Peduncle long, about same length as calyx ( Fig. 8 A, C–E). Peduncle without interradial longitudinal muscle, with single chamber at median region (no histological details at base of peduncle). Broad, swollen adhesive circular pedal disk at base of peduncle ( Fig. 8 A, E). Calyx without anchors or primary tentacles ( Fig. 8 A, C–E). Gastrovascular cavity not divided by claustrum. Manubrium with four perradial lips. Numerous gastric filaments in gastrovascular cavity. Eight arms, short, organized in four interradial pairs ( Fig. 8 A, C–E). Eight gonads not embedded in gastrovascular cavity (but contained within evaginations from the gastrovascular cavity), extending from manubrium to distal end of arms, consisting of several nodular lobes of irregular shape. Each arm with a cluster of secondary hollow knobbed tentacles, similar in shape ( Fig. 8 B, F). Coronal muscle divided into eight segments by arms. Secondary tentacles with numerous nematocysts of two types: isorhiza and eurytele. Thin, pad-like adhesive structures (abaxial cushion) on tips of arms, on exumbrella, at base of tentacular cluster ( Fig. 8 B, F). White spots of nematocysts on subumbrella. Preserved specimens green to yellowish brown (only information on preserved specimens available). Total body length about 6.70 to 13.80 mm.

Distribution and habitat. Although known from only two records, this species is widely distributed, having been recorded in Shelly Beach, East London, Eastern Cape, South Africa, in the Indian Ocean ( Carlgren 1938); and in Itanhaém, São Paulo, Brazil, in the western Atlantic Ocean ( Miranda et al. 2012b) ( Fig. 5 A, D). South African and Brazilian specimens were collected attached to Sargassum sp. in the intertidal zone (“University of Cape Town Ecological Survey”; Miranda et al. 2012b).

Remarks. Calvadosia capensis was described from South Africa based on a single specimen ( Carlgren 1938), and its general morphology ( Fig. 8 ) is similar to C. hawaiiensis , from Hawaii ( Edmondson 1930), with a narrowlyopened (pyramidal) calyx, paired arms, and thin pad-like adhesive structures on the tips of the arms (although overlooked in C. hawaiiensis by Larson 1980; see Grohmann et al. 1999). However, based on the literature, C. capensis has shorter arms and longer peduncle compared to C. hawaiiensis ( Edmondson 1930, figure 6; Carlgren 1938, figure 1, Miranda et al. 2012b, figure 1).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Geographic distribution of South African stauromedusae. A: Global distribution of Calvadosia capensis (South Africa and Brazil); B: Global distribution of Depastromorpha africana (South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand) *; C: Local distribution of C. lewisi sp. nov. (endemic from South Africa); D: Local distribution of C. capensis; E: Local distribution of D. africana; F: Local distribution of L. stephensoni (endemic from South Africa). Based on Carlgren (1933, 1935, 1938); Zagal et al. (2011); Miranda et al. (2012 b); and new records provided in this study. * Records of D. africana outside South Africa need confirmation of their identity (see text and Miranda et al. 2016 b).

FIGURE 8. Calvadosia capensis (Carlgren, 1938), preserved specimens. A: Exumbrellar view (modified from Carlgren 1938); B: Detail of an arm with secondary tentacles and a pad-like adhesive structure (modified from Carlgren 1938); C – E: Exumbrellar view (modified from Miranda et al. 2012 b); F: Detail of paired arms, with secondary tentacles and pad-like adhesive structures (modified from Miranda et al. 2012 b). Abbreviations: am, arms; cl, calyx; pa, pad-like adhesive structure; pd, pedal disk; pe, peduncle; tc, secondary tentacles.