SYSTEMATIC AND BIOLOGICAL ACCOUNT 



73 



Forskalia sp. or spp. 



A species was taken at one 'Manihine' Aqaba Station and in the following 'Discovery II' hauls: 

 1375 ( x ex -> no nectophores); 1568 (nectosome and 31 nectophores) ; 1573 (5 nectophores) ; 1581 (4Juv. 

 nectophores) ; 1583, 100-50 m. (1 juv. nectophore); 1585, 1400-700 m. (11 nectophores), 500-0 m. 

 (11 bracts); 1586, 1650-950 m. (1 nectophore); 1587 (1 ex., no appendages). 



The above nectophores are unmistakably those of a Forskalia species and have the characteristically 

 shaped nectosac, with straight radial canals. The flattened asymmetrical ventral process that carries 

 the pedicular canal is also characteristic. But the pedicular canal itself is noteworthy for lacking the 

 branched expansion in its middle region found in F. leuckarti. 



Cbr 



Pr.lat. 



y-Prdist 



Text-fig. 31. Knee-shaped bracts of a species of Forskalia from 'Discovery II' St. 1585, 1400-700 m., x 15. 



Of the above bracts, five are similar (Text-fig. 31) in having a concave oval facet on the dorsal 

 side, a cavity on the ventral side, a convex facet at right angles to the dorsal one, a three-cornered 

 lateral process with a ridge and a canal that has a right-angled bend in the middle of its course. All the 

 bracts are somewhat hollowed on one side and have a distal process, triangular in section, on which 

 the canal ends. The knee-shaped bracts described above can be mirror images of each other, as the 

 figures show. 



At present we do not know enough about the morphology of species of Forskalia to be able to 

 identify species from loose bracts and nectophores, unless they are of living Mediterranean specimens. 



CALYCOPHORAE 



Post-larvae of Prayidae and Hippoppdiidae 



It has long been recognized that Prayids and Hippopodiids more nearly resemble one another than 

 either resembles the remainder of the Calycophorae. In both of the families there appears to be 

 a similar larval, caducous nectophore, combined possibly with a bract, like the one first figured by 

 Chun (1888 a) for the Canary Islands Hippopodius hippopus. 



Up the present time we have known very little about the larvae of any Prayid or Hippopodiid 

 species, and as far as I am aware no one has succeeded in breeding any except Metchnikoff (1874). 

 Eighty years ago he reared some larvae of H. hippopus at Villefranche, but could not keep them alive 

 for more than ten days. The rest of our knowledge is based on larvae of unknown parentage captured 

 in the sea. Great caution should be used in accepting identification of such larvae unless there is 

 within the hydroecium a young, definitive nectophore of recognizable shape. 



