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A New Genus and species of Box Jellyfish (Cubozoa: Carybdeidae) from Tropical Australian Waters

2005; Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory; Volume: 21; Linguagem: Inglês

10.5962/p.287412

0811-3653

Lisa‐Ann Gershwin, Philip Alderslade,

Marine Toxins and Detection Methods

A new genus and species of cubozoan is reported from the Northern Territory and Queensland.It possesses the following autapomorphic characters with respect to other known forms in the 7amoya/Irukandji group ofcarybdeids: a robust, matchbox-sized body; broad and overhanging pedalial inner wings; laminar-branching velarial canals; and qualitatively and quantatively unique nematocysts.Furthermore, while it shares some characters with other taxa in the group, it is unique in its combination of major morphological characters: like Tamoya, Carukia, Malo and 'Morbakka', it has frown-shaped rhopalial niche ostia; like Carukia , Malo and 'Morbakka', it has rhopalial horns, perradial lappets, and lacks gastric cirri; like Tamoya and 'Morbakka', it has a prominent thorn-shaped upwardpointing diverticulum near the base of the pedalial canal and greatly flared tentacle bases; like Malo and 'Morbakka', it has two rows of nematocyst warts on the perradial lappets; like Malo, the rhopaliar horns are short and broad.Its cnidome comprises Type 4 microbasic p-mastigophores on the tentacles, and spherical isorhizas on the bell.Recent molecular phylogenetic studies place it, along with 'Morbakka', intermediate between the Carukia clade and the Malo clade.It is considered a mild health risk to humans.