First observations of Depastrum cyathiforme (M. Sars, 1846) (Cnidaria, Staurozoa) after nearly five decades Zootaxa

Depastrum cyathiforme (M. Sars, 1846), the only species within the genus Depastrum, is a benthic medusozoan cnidarian in the class Staurozoa, which encompasses the stalked jellyfishes (Miranda et al. 2018). The species was originally described from material collected on the coast of Norway and was subsequently recorded in England, Ireland, Scotland, Spain, and France (Table S1). Although considered as rare since its original description (M. Sars 1846; see also Gosse 1854), the species was regularly observed in the 19th century, especially in British waters (Table S1). However, since its last record in the literature, in 1976 in Roscoff, northern France (den Hartog 1976), there has been no additional evidence of its existence. The aim of this note is to document two recent observations of this species, nearly half a century since its last report. We provide information about the species’ distribution and habitat, as well as the first photographs for D. cyathiforme, previously illustrated only by paintings and line drawings, most of which were over a century old.