Suborder KOLPOPHORAE Stiasny, 1921

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Introduction

Members of the suborder Kolpophorae are easily distinguished from those of the suborder Daktyliophorae. In the Kolpophorae, the oral arms are dichotomous and triangular or three-winged; the anastomosing network of canals communicates directly with the gastral cavity in several places between the radial canals; the rhopaliar pits are smooth, lacking radial folds; and the subgenital ostia lack papillae. In contrast, in the Daktyliophorae, the oral arms are three-winged; the anastomosing canal network does not communicate directly with the gastral cavity; the rhopaliar pits have radial folds, and the subgenital ostia are narrowed by papillae.

The Kolpophorae contains three superfamilies, all of which are present in Australian waters. The Kampylomyariae comprise only the Cassiopeidae, or the upside-down jellyfish; their subumbrellar muscles are in feather-like arcs, and their habit is to sit upside down on the substrate, gently pulsating. The Actinomyariae comprise the single family Cepheidae, which have radial subumbrellar muscles, and usually have some sort of decoration, such as conspicuous papillae or knobs, on the bell. The Krikomyariae comprise three families — Mastigiidae, Versurigidae, and Thysanostomatidae; these all share the character of the presence of annular subumbrellar muscles.

Diagnosis

Mouth-arms dichotomous and triangular or three-winged. A network of anastomosing canals communicate with the central gastral cavity in several places between the radial canals. Rhopaliar pits smooth, without radial folds. Subgenital ostia without papillae.

Diagnosis References

Kramp, P.L. 1961. Synopsis of the medusae of the world. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 40: 1-469 [348]

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