Table 4. Polyp and ephyra morphology of Rhizostomida species. rc: rhopalial canal, vc: velar canal, *: brooding species.
| Species | Polyp | Ephyrae | Source | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polyp size range (mm) | MDD (mm) | Nb. of tentacles | Scyphistome, hypostome | Asexual reproduction | Strobilation (ephyrae per strobilation/strobilation type) | Ephyrae size after release (mm) | Nb. of marginal lappets | Shape of rhopalial lappet | Shape of velar canal/rhopalial canal | Ephyra colour | ||
| Catostylus tagi | 1.08–1.83 | 0.44–0.86 | 16 | Long, club-shaped | Podocysts | 1, monodisk (rare) Up to 15, polydisk |
1.5–3.1 | 8 | Antler palm-like, with 2 to 7 finger-like appendages | Rhombical/slightly forked, rounded points |
Dark pink to dark red, red statocysts | Present study |
| Catostylus mosaicus* | 1.57–1.90 | 0.69–0.81 | 12–20 | Long, club-shaped | Lateral polyp buds, podocysts, pedalocysts, longitudinal fission | 1, monodisk 2-5, polydisk |
1.9 – 2.26 | 8 | Antler palm-like, with 3 to 5 finger-like appendages | Spade-like vc/slightly forked rc | na | 1, 2, 3 |
| Rhizotoma luteun* | 1.34–2.5 | 1.02 | 14–16 | Conspicuous and flexible in all stage | Podocysts | 1, monodisk | 3.41–4.52 | Typical 8, 11 | Bread knife shaped | Rhombical vc/slightly forked rc | Light yellow to light brown | 4 |
| Rhizostoma pulmo | 0.96–2.15 | 0.53–1.16 | 14–16 | Long, club-shape and flexible | Lateral polyp buds, podocysts, lateral buds, stolonial polyp buds, pedalocysts |
8–13.5, polydisk, oligodisk | 2.28–3.93 | Typical 8, 5–9 | Spade like to lancet shaped | Rhombical or absent vc/slightly forked rc | Milk transparent to opaque white | 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 |
| Rhizostoma octopus | 1.9–2.3 | 1.25 | 16–24 | Long and flexible | Podocysts, lateral buds, longitudinal fission | 1, monodisk Up to 15, polydisk |
2 7–5.96 | 8 | Bread knife-like | flat rhombical vc/slightly forked rc | Milky transparent, light yellow to light brown | 2, 8, 9 |
| Rhopilema esculentum | 1.00–3.50 | 1.6 | 16 | Moderately long | Podocysts | 7–17, polydisk | 1.5–4.0 | 8 | Talon-shaped with 4–6 branches ; Hand saped with 4–6 finger-like appendages | arrow tip-like vc/spatula-like rc | Milky to transparent | 2, 3, 10 |
| Rhopilema nomadica | 1.8–2.0 | na | 16 | Large clavate shape, third of polyp length | Podocysts | 5–6, polydisk | 1.5–2.0 | 8 | Single or twin-typed, lancet-shaped | Convex with arched corners | na | 11 |
| Rhopilema verrilli* | 2.5 | 0.35 | 8–20 | Large, flexible, quadrate, irregular in outline | Podocysts, pedalocysts | 1, monodisk Up to 3, polydisk |
3.0 | 8 | Rounded, slender, pointed distally | Rhopalar pouches with prominent «horns» | Peach, orange-red to rose coloured ; birefringent, bright yellow gold statocysts | 12, 13 |
| Lychnorhiza lucerna | 1.5 | 0.55–0.8 | 18–22 | Prominent dome-shaped | Podocysts | 3, polydisk | 1.4 | 8 | Hand shaped with 2 to 9 tips | na/square-shaped ends with slight lateral horns rc | Translucent | 14 |
| Nemopilema nomadica | 2.6 | 0.8–1.1 | 16 | Dome-shaped, one third of scyphistome height | Podocysts | 3–7, polydisk | 2.2–3.8 | 8 | Hand shaped with 2 to 6 pointed tips | Unforked triangular vc/unforked, spatula shaped rc | Translucent | 15 |
| Stomolophus meleagris | 2.0 | na | 16 | Large, flexible, and dome-or knob-shaped | Podocysts | 1, monodisk 2-3, polydisk |
1.5–2.0 | 8 | Slender, distally pointed | Adradial bulges vc/blunt-ended rc | Pale straw coloured | 16 |
| Cephea cephea* | 1.4–2.9 | 0.44–0.6 | 14–17 | Short, club-shaped |
Lateral budding, swimming buds | 1, monodisk | 1.6–3.24 | 8 | Round spoon-shaped | Rhombical vc / slightly forked rc | Pale yellow to yellowish-brown | 2, 3, 17 |
| Cotylorhiza tuberculata* | 3.23–5.0 | 0.82–0.86 | 16–17 | Short, cylindrical | Lateral budding, swimming buds | 1, monodisk | 1.5–3.25 | 8 | Rounded to rounded spoon shaped | spade-like to slightly rhombical vc/slightly forked rc | Transparent with yellow hemmed gastric system | 2, 3, 18 , 19 |
| Mastigias papua* | 1.0–10.22 | 0.4–0.92 | 15–18 | Very short,cylindrical | Planuloids | 1, monodisk | 1.5–3.91 | 8 | Rounded; Trapered, broad spoon shaped | spade-like to slightly rhombical vc/slightly forked rc | Brown to orange brown | 2, 3, 20, 21, 22 |
| Phyllorhiza punctata* | na | na | 16 | na | Ciliated buds | 1, monodisk | 0.46–2.5 | 8 | Pointed spoon shaped | spade-like to slightly rhombical vc/slightly forked rc | Yellowish brown to ochre | 3, 23 |
| Cassiopea andromeda* | 4.72–10.0 | 1.95 | 32 | Conspicuous long, tetragonal | Swimming buds, planuloids | 1, monodisk | 3.69–3.95 | 12–23 | Spatula-like | tongue-like and reach the tips of the velar lappets, tips are rounded vc/long forked rc |
Yellowish green | 2, 3, 24, 25 |
| Cassiopea xamachana | na | 1.5–2.0 | Up to 42 | na | Planula-like larvae | 1, monodisk | na | na | na | na | na | 26 |
Note:
Source: 1: Pitt (2000); 2: Straehler-Pohl (2009); 3: Straehler-Pohl & Jarms (2010); 4: Kienberger et al. (2018); 5: Fuentes et al. (2011); 6: Purcell et al. (2012); 7: Schiariti et al. (2014); 8: Holst et al. (2007), 9: Holst & Jarms (2007); 10: You et al. (2007); 11: Lotan, Ben-Hillel & Loya (1992); 12: Cargo (1971); 13: Calder (1973); 14: Schiariti et al. (2008); 15: Kawahara et al. (2006); 16: Calder (1982); 17: Sugiura (1966); 18: Kikinger (1992); 19: Prieto et al. (2010); 20: Sugiura (1963); 21: Sugiura (1964); 22: Sugiura (1965); 23: Rippingale & Kelly (1995); 24: Gohar & Eisawy (1960a); 25: Gohar & Eisawy (1960b); 26: Bigelow (1900).