THE COAST OF CALIFORNIA. 121 



CHRYSAORA MELANASTER Brandt. 



This beautiful medusa was taken off the lighthouse at 

 Santa Cruz. The specimen differs somewhat from the de- 

 scription by Brandt, whence it has seemed well to give a new 

 diagnosis. The umbrella is flat, disk-shaped, the diameter 

 being about double the height. Color, reddish-brown ; 

 thirty-two marginal lappets are found on the border of the 

 bell. The surface of the bell has brown radial lines, ex- 

 tending from the center to the periphery of the disk. The 

 marginal lappets have a rectangular shape. 



There are eight hooded otocysts. The surface of the bell 

 above the otocyst is swollen into a rounded prominence in 

 the center of which there is a conical pit, or "Riechgriib- 

 chen." 1 The otocyst has a bright yellow and brown color. 

 Between each pair of otocysts there are three marginal ten- 

 tacles. There are therefore twenty-four tentacles in all on 

 the rim of the umbrella. Each tentacle is more highly col- 

 ored than the bell, and their tips especially have a brighter 

 red color. Tentacles are unbranched, long and simple, 

 with many nematocysts. 



The lower floor or sub-umbrella of the bell has a whitish 

 color. The actinostome hangs from the sub-umbrella by 

 four pillars which are transparent. The structure of the 

 mouth is like that of C. Mediterranea Per. et Les. 



The specimen which I had was younger than that so 

 beautifully figured by Mertens, which may account for the 

 fact that the shape of the marginal lappets is very different. In 

 addition to a single specimen collected by myself, the Santa 

 Cruz fishermen brought me one or two broken examples 

 of others collected from the Bay of Monterey. At certain 

 times of the year the genus appears to be very common, but 



l Possibly a special sense organ. 



