3i6 



DISCOVERY REPORTS 



The tentacles are hollow and are closely crowded together round the margin. Each 

 tentacle has a small oval basal bulb attached to the margin of the umbrella, and the 

 tentacle itself is also for a short distance attached to the margin (Plate XVIII, fig. 14). The 

 older tentacles have a longer attachment than the younger ones so that two or three 

 alternating series are formed. Each tentacle is covered with nematocysts (Plate XVIII, 

 figs. 15, 16) arranged in transverse bands, which either nearly surround the tentacle 

 or are slightly spiral. The largest specimens all have about 200 tentacles, and nearly all 

 of them are fully developed, only very few young tentacles being found between them; 

 presumably, therefore, 200 is about the maximum number of tentacles developed in 

 this species. 



The statocysts are internal, inside the margin of the umbrella and adjacent to the 

 ring canal (Plate XVIII, fig. 14). Owing to the opaqueness of the ring canal the statocysts 

 are not easily seen and are often difficult to find. The early stages have four statocysts, 

 adradially situated; in the next stage there are eight, adradial, two being in each 

 quadrant. The number increases with age and they are irregularly scattered round the 

 margin; usually one is present near the base of every third or fourth tentacle. The 

 statocysts lie between the tentacles, adjacent to and on the outer side of the ring canal 

 (Plate XVIII, fig. 13). Each one has a single statolith on a short, endodermal stalk inside 

 a small roundish vesicle. 



According to Mr Vallentin's notes Aglaiiropsis conantii occurs in great quantities in 

 Stanley Harbour; especially between 24 January and 3 February 1899 he repeatedly 

 wrote in his notes: "Surface of the sea swarming with specimens", "Shoals seen", 

 "Quantities seen floating about". 



This species is dedicated to the memory of Franklin Story Conant of Johns Hopkins 

 University, who died of yellow fever contracted through self-sacrificing devotion to 

 others whilst engaged on the study of the Cubomedusae of Jamaica, 1897. 



Genus Vallentinia Browne (1902) 



Generic characters. Olindiidae with four simple radial canals, without blind 

 centripetal canals between them. Sixteen (or more) enclosed marginal statocysts. Four 

 large, hollow, perradial tentacles, each with a terminal adhesive disk, and twenty-four 

 (or more) hollow tentacles evenly distributed on the margin, without adhesive disk, but 

 with bands of nematocysts. 



