Family OLINDIIDAE Haeckel, 1879

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Introduction

The family Olindiidae consists mainly of jellyfish that occur in large, still water bodies. There are 22 genera listed on the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS), of which three occur in Australia.

ID Keys

Key to genera of the Olindiidae medusae, modified after Bouillon et al. (2006) Peter Schuchert

1A in freshwater, statocysts in elongated vesicles enclosed in velum; gonads on radial canals .....................
............................................................................................................................................. Craspedacusta
1B in brackish water or fully marine, statocysts spherical, enclosed in mesoglea of umbrellar margin ............
....................................................................................................................... ..................................................2
2A with centripetal canals.................................................................................................................................3
2B no centripetal canals ...................................................................................................................................5
3A tentacles of one kind .................................................................................................................................. 4
3B primary tentacles attached above umbrellar margin, with terminal adhesive pads, secondary tentacles
on umbrellar margin, without adhesive pads .................................................................................. Olindias
4A tentacles on exumbrella at different height above bell margin; no adhesive pads ..................... Eperetmus
4B all tentacles on umbrellar margin, no adhesive pads ....................................................................Maeotias
5A tentacles in groups on bell margin ................................................................................................... Gossea
5B tentacles not in groups............................................................................................................................... 6
6A 6 radial canals...........................................................................................................................................12
6B 4 radial canals.............................................................................................................................................7
7A gonads on manubrium ............................................................................................................... Limnocnida
7B gonads on radial canals ............................................................................................................................. 8
8A all tentacles without adhesive pads ...........................................................................................Aglauropsis
8B some or all tentacles with adhesive pads ...................................................................................................9
9A one type of tentacle, with terminal adhesive pad..................................................................................... 10
9B two kinds of tentacles, with and without adhesive pads ...........................................................................11
10A numerous statocysts ................................................................................................................ Gonionemus
10B not more than 16 statocysts.......................................................................................................Scolionema
11A adhesive pads terminal ................................................................................................................ Vallentinia
11B adhesive pads at some distance from outer end of tentacles ......................................................... Cubaia
12A gonads flat, on greater portion of radial canal; tentacles with nematocyst rings .......................... Nuarchus
12B gonads pocket like, on distal part of radial canals; tentacles with terminal nematocyst swelling Hexaphilia
Inadequately known or doubtful taxa: Keralica Khatri, 1984
Mansariella Malhotra, Duda & Jyoti, 1976

General References

Jankowski, T. 2001. The freshwater medusae of the world: A taxonomic and systematic literature study with some remarks on other inland water jellyfish. Hydrobiologia 462: 91-113

History of changes