Spectacularia vanoppenae gen. et sp. Nov, a new hydromedusa (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa: Dipleurosomatidae) from the Great Barrier Reef

Abstract

A new genus and species of Hydromedusae is described from the waters off North Queensland. It is placed in the Dipleurosomatidae because of its irregularly branched radial canals, gonads on the radial canals separated from the stomach, hollow marginal tentacles and lack of cirri or cordyli. It differs from all other medusae in its two rows of small, simple, wart-like gonadal papillae. It differs from the other dipleurosomatids in its unique combination of other characters, namely, 5-6 radial canals leaving the stomach, branching dichotomously an irregular number of times; about half as many tentacles as canal branches reaching ring canal, not in correspondence with canal branches; with about 8 globular or heart-shaped stalked clubs between successive tentacles; and lacking ocelli. This report represents the first record of the Dipleurosomatidae in Australian waters.