CARYBDEID.E CARYBDEA. 



511 



it is probable that C. pyramis from the West Indies, C. obeliscus from the Cape Verde Islands, 

 C. p/nlippina from the Philippine Islands, and C. granJis from the Paumotos Islands are 

 only varieties or developmental phases of C. alata, the oldest species. 



Carybdea alata var. pyramis Haeckel. 



Charybdea pyramis, HAECKEL, 1880, Syst. der Meduscn, p. 440, taf. 25, fign. 5-8. 



(?) Charybdea obt/iscus, HAF.CKEL, Ibid., p. 441. 



(?) Carybdea alata, REYNAUD, 1830, Lesson's Centurie Zoologique, p. 95, planche 33, fig. I. 



Bell about 30 mm. high and 20 mm. broad. A 4-sided truncated pyramid, the upper 

 part being about one-third and the lower two-thirds as wide as the bell-height. A deep 

 interradial furrow bordered by a pair of prominent ridges extends down the 4 sides of the 

 exumbrella. The very long, narrow pedalia are lancet-shaped and about as long as the 

 bell-height. The 4 perradial sense-clubs have each 6 eyes and are set in deep niches on the 

 sides of the bell. Bell-margin displays 8 shallow lappets, the clefts being occupied by the 

 4 frenulae and the 4 pedalia. The 4 frenulae which support the wide velarium are 3-cornered 

 and thick. 24 simple, 3-cornered velar canals, 6 in each quadrant. The stomach is not quite 

 as wide as the bell-radius, and is shallow and quadratic. Neck large, 4-sided, pyramidal, 



and separated from the stomach by a deep stricture. 

 4 large, 3-cornered lips with folded edges. Gonads 8 

 wide leaves with irregular, crenulated,free margins. This 

 form is found in the tropical regions of the Atlantic. 



Carybdea alata var. grandis Agassiz and Mayer 



Cli<2r\bdfa grandis, ACASSIZ, A. and MAYFR, 1902, Mem. Museum Comp. 



Zool. at Harvard College, vol. 26, p. 153, plate 6, figs. 26-31 . Bl(.M.mv, 



H. B., 1909, Mem. Mus. Comp. Zool. at Harvard College, vol. 37. p. 17. 

 ( ?) Charybdea grandis, BROWNE, 1905, Report Pearl Oyster Fisheries, Gulf of 



Manaar, Suppl. Report No. 27, Roy. Soc. London, p. 157. 

 (?) Bursarius ctiherra, LESSON, 1829, Voyage de la Coquillc Zoophytes, 



p. 108, planche 14, fig. I. 

 ( ?) Tamota bursaria, MAAS, 1903, Scyphomedusen der Siboga Exped., Monog. 



u, p. 4. 



This medusa may be identical with Lesson's Bur- 

 sarius cytherea: but the latter is so vaguely described and 

 figured that I feel obliged to omit it from serious con- 

 sideration. 



Adult medusa. Bell high, pyramidal, with blunt 

 apex. 230 mm. high, and 140 mm. wide. Gelatinous 

 substance quite thick and of remarkably tough consis- 

 tency. There are 4 interradial, wing-like pedalia, the 

 broad sides of which extend outward in a radial direction. 



medusa, after Agassiz and Mayer, in These pedalia are each about 40 mm. long, and 25 mm. 

 Mjm.Mus. Comp. Zoo!, at Harvard wjde A wide canal extends through the substance of 



each of them into the flexible portion of the tentacle, 



which arises from distal end of pedalium. The flexible part of the tentacle is about 140 mm. 

 long and its surface is ringed with transverse rows of nematocyst-cells. Each of the 4 per- 

 radial sense-organs arises from a deep niche about 27 mm. above level of velarium. 



The sense-organ is knob-shaped, mounted upon a short stem, and contains from I to 3 

 ectodermal ocelli and an entodermal concretion. In old medusa; there is usually a single, 

 median ocellus in each sense-organ, but a young specimen 30 mm. in height had a large 

 median and 2 small lateral ocelli. These ocelli are all directed as if to perceive objects within 

 the bell-cavity. Velarium well developed and suspended by 4 mesenteries or frenulas in the 

 radii of the sense-organs. 24 short, tree-like, non-anastomosing velar canals extend centnp- 

 etally inward into the substance of the velarium. Manubrium short, 4 slightly recurved 

 lips. There are 4 interradial crescentic areas of numerous short, gastric cirri, the horns of 

 each crescent pointing centripetally. 4 wide perradial pouches, extending outwardly from 

 the stomach, are separated one from another by 4 narrow interradial partitions, but are placed 

 in communication one with another by means of lateral canals leading into the lumen of the 



FIG. 329. Car\bdea alata, var. grandis. Young 



