154 



CTENOPHORA 



CLASS 2. NUDA. 

 Tentacles absent: 1 family. , 

 FAMILY BEEOIDAE. 



Body conical or ovate and compressed, with a mouth and stomach so 

 very wide that the body is much the shape of a compressed thimble ; combs 



extend the length of the body; a network 

 of canals throughout the body which 

 ramify off from the gastrovascular canals : 

 2 genera with few species; they are cos- 

 mopolitan, often occurring in large 

 swarms, and are noted for their voracity, 

 sometimes swallowing other ctenophores 

 larger than themselves. 



BEROE Browne (Idyia Freminville) . 

 Body more or less conical or ovoid : about 

 14 species. 



B. ovata Chamisso and Eysenhardt 

 Body often tapering from the mouth to 

 the aboral pole and much compressed, 10 

 cm. long, pink in color towards the north, 

 milky white towards the south: Chesa- 

 peake Bay to Florida; cosmopolitan; 

 abundant. 



B. cucumis Fabricius (B. roseola 

 Agassiz) (Fig. 252). Body 10 cm. long, 

 9 cm. wide and 6 cm. thick and rose color: Vineyard Sound to Labrador, 

 often very plentiful towards the north. 



Fig. 252 Beroe cucumis (Mayer). 



