Family BOLINOPSIDAE Bigelow, 1912

Museums

Regional Maps

Introduction

The family Bolinopsidae comprises the two genera Bolinopsis and Mnemiopsis. Deiopea was once included in this family, but has been removed to its own family. One described species of Bolinopsis is currently known from Australian waters. Three undescribed species have been recorded — one species from the west coast of South Australia, Bolinopsis with fine magenta-coloured lines marking the canals throughout the lobes; one species from the Brisbane region, QLD, Bolinopsis with large, hemispherical lobes, and with brilliant red coloration along most of the length of the ctene rows; and another species (a transparent and colourless form) reported by Edgar (1997, 2000) from NSW, Gershwin & Zeidler (2003) from Nuyts Archipelago, SA, and Gershwin (unpublished notes) from QLD, NT and WA.

Species of Bolinopsis occur in polar to tropical neritic waters of all oceans, and species of Mnemiopsis are restricted to coastal waters of the temperate and tropical Atlantic.

The oral lobes of Bolinopsis are inserted halfway between the mouth and the infundibulum; in Mnemiopsis, at the level of the infundibulum. During development, M. leidyi passes through stages resembling Bolinopsis before reaching its final form. Gonads are present on the walls of all meridional canals when maturity is reached. Most species are transparent. The largest attain a height of 15 cm. The feeding mechanism is the same in all species studied: the animal swims slowly forward with the oral lobes expanded, trapping small organisms (predominantly crustaceans) on the mucus-covered inner surfaces of the lobes; food is transferred to the mouth by means of the oral tentacles and cilia. Adapted from Harbison & Madin (1982).

Diagnosis

The subtentacular comb rows are about half the length of the substomodaeal comb rows. The paragastric canals join the subtentacular meridional canals at the bases of the auricles; the subtentacular mericanals continue around the margin of the oral lobes, joining their counterparts on the opposite side. Adjacent substomodaeal meridional canals wind complexly in the oral lobes, and meet. The subtentacular meridional cajoin the adradial canals aborally.

Diagnosis References

Harbison, G.R. & Madin, L.P. 1982. Ctenophora. 707-715, pls 68-69 in Parker, S.P. (ed.). Taxonomy and Classification of Living Organisms. New York : McGraw-Hill Vol. 1. [714]

General References

Edgar, G.J. 1997. Australian Marine Life, the plants and animals of temperate waters. Kew, Victoria, Australia : Reed Books 544 pp.

Gershwin, L. & Zeidler, W. 2003. Encounter 2002 expedition to the Isles of St Francis, South Australia: Medusae, siphonophores and ctenophores of the Nuyts Archipelago. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 127(2): 205-241, 14 pls

Harbison, G.R. & Madin, L.P. 1982. Ctenophora. 707-715, pls 68-69 in Parker, S.P. (ed.). Taxonomy and Classification of Living Organisms. New York : McGraw-Hill Vol. 1.

History of changes