Family OCYROPSIDAE Krumbach, 1925

Museums

Regional Maps

• Ocyroeae Lesson, R.P. 1843. Histoire Naturelle des Zoophytes. Acalèphes. Paris : Librairie encyclopédique de Roret 596 pp. [98].

Introduction

The family Ocyropsidae comprises the single genus Ocyropsis, which is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical oceanic waters. Two described species and one undescribed species have been reported from Australian waters. The undescribed species is reported from Tasmania and is a large form of Ocyropsis.

Species of Ocyropsis swim slowly using the comb rows for propulsion, and move more rapidly by flapping the oral lobes. Ocyropsis catches its prey with the muscular oral lobes and quickly ingests it by extending the mouth. Development begins with a cydippid larva lacking tentacles, and proceeds through a medusiform stage to the adult form. Rudimentary tentacles are present briefly in the early lobate stages. From Harbison & Madin (1982).

The family name Ocyropsidae was first applied by Krumbach (1925: 984), for the species in the genus Ocyropsis (Mayer 1912: 37), which had previously been classified in the genus Ocyroe in the family Ocyroidae (preoccupied for medusae by Péron & Lesueur (1810)).

Diagnosis

The connections of the canals are like those in BolinThe paragastric canal is complexly winding in the adult. The substomodaeal meridional canals have diverticuin the oral lobes. Tentacles are absent in the adult. The oral lobes are large and muscular; the auricles are short and stout; the comb rows are short. Adults are transparent or brown; some species have pigment spots on the oral lobes. The largest species attains a height of 10 cm.

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

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.

Krumbach, T. 1925. Ctenophora. pp. 905-995 in Kukenthal, W. & Krumbach, T. (eds). Handbuch der Zoologie. Berlin : W. de Gruyter Vol. 1.

Mayer, A.G. 1912. Ctenophores of the Atlantic coast of North America. Publication of the Carnegie Institution of Washington 162: 1-58

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