Lucernariopsis cruxmelitensis
| Lucernariopsis cruxmelitensis | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Cnidaria |
| Class: | Staurozoa |
| Order: | Stauromedusae |
| Family: | Kishinouyeidae |
| Genus: | Lucernariopsis |
| Species: | L. cruxmelitensis |
| Binomial name | |
|
Lucernariopsis cruxmelitensis Corbin, 1978 |
|
Lucernariopsis cruxmelitensis is a stalked jellyfish which inhabits the intertidal and sublittoral zones of rocky coasts in south-west England and the Atlantic coast of Ireland.
The Latin name of this species, cruxmelitensis, refers to the arrangement of the white capsules (stinging organs) in the distinctive pattern of a Maltese Cross. In 2010, Natural England, the Guardian and the Oxford University Museum of Natural History ran a competition asking members of the public to provide a common name for this species. The name St John's jellyfish was eventually chosen. Runner up names included Marmalade shred jellyfish and Maltese cross medusa.
L. cruxmelitensis is the smallest member of the stalked jellyfishes growing to a maximum of 1.2 cm in diameter and 0.8 cm in height. It characteristically appears 'stalkless', although in fact it attaches to its location via a short stalk that terminates in a broad basal disc. It appears to have the unusual capacity to hold itself very rigidly in this posture, even when subjected to agitation caused by tidal flow.
L. cruxmelitensis has a translucent, maroon, broad funnel-shaped bell which is divided by hollow septa. The septa walls contain the gonads, which are thick, linear and Y-shaped, joining at the base of the bell and then extending outwards to the arms. It has eight arms which are arranged in a circle. On the end of each arm is a cluster of up to thirty five tentacles, each of which has a rounded head. Unlike Haliclystus salpinx, L. cruxmelitensis does not have tentacle anchors.
Originally identified inhabiting Wembury Bay, Devon,L. cruxmelitensis is now known to live on the Atlantic coasts of Ireland and the south-west coast of England, specifically from Swanage to North Devon. The English population has undergone a severe reduction in size in recent years, its numbers dropping by 90% from the 1970s to 2005.
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Wikipedia