Liriope tetraphylla
Chamisso & Eysenhardt (1821)
Download a fact sheet for Liriope tetraphylla (PDF 267KB)
Taxonomy
Phylum | Cnidaria |
Class | Hydrozoa |
Order | Trachymedusa |
Family | Geryoniidae |
Genus | Liriope |
Species | tetraphylla |
Size
- Umbrella 10-30 mm wide
Distinguishing characteristics
- Umbrella almost hemispherical
- Jelly thick, especially in apical region
- Marginal nematocyst ring present, with 4 perradial and 4 interradial short nematocyst tracks on exumbrella
- Velum well developed
- Usually with 4 straight radial canals, 1-3 short blind centripetal canals in each quadrant and broad ring canal
- Manubrium on long gastric peduncle, 1-3 times umbrella height
- Mouth with 4 simple or slightly crenulated lips
- Subumbrellar portion of radial canals with 4 gonads, variable in shape and size
- 4 long hollow perradial marginal tentacles with nematocyst rings
- 4 small solid interradial tentacles with adaxial nematocyst clusters
- Manubrium, gonads and marginal tentacles rose-red or green when alive
Distribution
- Warm and tropical oceanic waters where it floats in great shoals near surface
Ecology
- Holopelagic
- Epipelagic
- Medusae are present throughout year, but local occurrence determined by hydrographic conditions
References
- Bouillon, J., C. Gravili, et al. (2006). "An introduction to Hydrozoa." Memoires du Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle 194: 1-591.
- Gibbons, M. (2012) pers.comm.
- Marine species identification portal (2011) http://species-identification.org/index.php