Scyphomedusae of the Southern Ocean

This dataset is a scanned copy of ANARE Research Notes 4, which describes the Scyphomedusae of the Southern Ocean.It lists all the known species and with illustrated diagrams provides a guide to their taxonomic identification. Distribution maps are given for each species.Taken from the abstract:In the Southern Ocean there are eleven species of Scyphomedusae from two free-swimming orders (Coronatae and Semaeostomeae), and one sedentary order (Stauromedusae). For each of these species, Haliclystus antarcticus, Haliclystus kerguelensis, Lucernaria australis, Lucernariopsis vanhoeffeni, Atolla wyvillei, Pericopla quadrigata, Periphylla periphylla, Desmonena chierchianum, Desmonena gaudichaudi and Diplumaris antarctica) the synonymy, vertical and horizontal distribution and diagnostic characters are listed. A distribution map and illustration is also given for each. Species not found in the Southern Ocean but in adjacent waters are included in the keys.Scyphomedusae are the jellyfish or true medusae and differ from the Hydromedusae in that they are generally larger, and are more robust. They possess gastric tentacles and do not have a velum (except in Cubomedusae). Details of the general structure and morphology of the medusa form are given in the Guide to Hydromedusae of the Southern Ocean and Adjacent Waters (ANARE Research Notes Number 5). The medusa is the dominant and conspicuous stage in the life cycle, the polypoid form is restricted to a small larval stage. Although these cnidarians are typically free-swimming animals, one order, the Stauromedusae, is sessile. In this group the exumbrellar surface is drawn out into the stalk (or calyx) by which the animal attached to algae and other objects.The document is available for download as a pdf from the provided URL.