Mastigias ocellatus
Mastigias ocellatus | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Cnidaria |
Class: | Scyphozoa |
Order: | Rhizostomeae |
Family: | Mastigiidae |
Genus: | Mastigias |
Species: | M. o. [1]
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Binomial name | |
Mastigias ocellatus [1] (Modeer, 1791)
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Synonyms | |
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Mastigias ocellatus, the golden medusa, is a species of jellyfish in the family Mastigiidae. It is native to the southern Pacific Ocean.
Etymology
[edit]The specific epithet is derived from the latin ocellatus, "having small eyes", referring to the white spots on the edge of the bell that appear similar to small eyes.[2]
Description
[edit]The medusa of M. ocellatus grows to a diameter of about 15 cm (6 in). The surface of the bell is sculptured with small, polygonal nematocyst warts. There are 96 marginal lappets and eight 3-winged mouth arms, terminating in a bare, club-shaped extremity, the tip of which is blue. The bell is reddish-brown, with white spots near the edge, each with a brown centre and margin.[1][3]
Distribution
[edit]M. ocellatus occurs in October in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is a pelagic species, and its method of reproduction has not been studied.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ a b van der Land, Jacob (2018). "Mastigias ocellatus". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
- ^ Modeer A. (1791). Tentamen systematis medusarum stabiliendi. Nova acta physico-medica Academiae Caesareae Leopoldino-Carolinae Naturae Curiosum. 8(Appendix): 27.
- ^ a b "Mastigias ocellata (Madeer, 1791)". Information system of Scyphozoa, Cubozoa and Staurozoa. Retrieved 8 March 2018.