540 MEDUSAE OF THE WORLD. 



The only known species is described from a single specimen found attached to a Gorgonian 

 at a depth of 50 fathoms off the Sardinian coast, Mediterranean. It is the only Stauromedusa 

 having perradial and interradial marginal lobes, and Vogt places it in a new family, the 

 Lipkeidae. 



Lipkea ruspoliana Vogt. 



Lipkea ruspoliana, VOGT, 1887, Mem. Inst. Nat. Genevois, tome 17, 53 pp., plates 10, n, figs. 1-17; 1886, Arch. Sci. Physique 

 et Naturelles, Geneve, ser. 3, tome 16, p. 356. 



Bell flat and soup-tureen-shaped with a very short basal stalk, by means of which the 

 animal is attached. Bell f to 8 mm. wide, 4 mm. high, the basal stalk only 1.5 mm. long and 

 4 mm. wide. 8 short, blunt, hollow, marginal lappets, 4 perradial and 4 interradial in position. 

 These lappets have plain, evenly rounded margins, and on their inner (centripetal) sides are 

 about 15 to 20 large, oval mucous glands (containing nematocysts ?), the openings of which 

 are scattered over the inner surface of each lappet. Subumbrella concave, but the central 

 mouth is elevated and bordered by 4 cruciform lips. The 4 deep, conical (subgenital ?) ostia 

 are interradial and alternate with the lips in position. Thus 4 of the 8 lappets are in the 

 radii of the lips and 4 others are in the radii of the (subgenital ?) ostia. Ring-muscle entire, 

 not divided into sectors, and extends around margin of subumbrella at bases of the 8 lappets. 

 Longitudinal muscle-fibers extend radially outward from this powerful ring-muscle along the 

 subumbrella faces of the 8 lappets. There are also a few weak, longitudinal muscles in the 

 exumbrella near the stalk. There are neither tentacles, "anchors," nor other marginal 

 appendages. 



There are conspicuous clusters of gland cells in the ectoderm of the subumbrella. 4 large 

 clusters are perradial in position and lie at the base of the 4 angles of the cruciform mouth- 

 tube. There are also 8 linear clusters of these glands at the bases of the 8 lappets on the inner 

 side of the ring-muscle. Central stomach divided by 4 interradial septa into 4 perradial 

 chambers. These septa do not extend into the cavities of the 4 interradial lappets, so that 

 the perradial chambers of the stomach communicate one with another through the cavities 

 of these lappets. Stalk single-chambered. 



No genital products were observed in the folded, membranous floors of the 4 (subgeniial ?) 

 interradial ostia, but 4 pairs of branched, gastric filaments arise from the edges of the 4 inter- 

 radial septa at base of oesophagus. It would seem that the medusa was immature and that 

 the folded, follicular organs under the 4 ostia in the 4 interradii of the stomach are destined to 

 develop the sexual products. 



Medusa translucent to milky in color and the clusters of nematocysts on the subumbrella 

 are yellow. 



A single (immature ?) specimen was found by Vogt attached to a Gorgonian at a depth 

 of 50 fathoms at Alghero on the northeast coast of Sardinia, Mediterranean. Vogt describes 

 the specimen in detail. 



