University of Tasmania, Australia

UTAS Home | UTAS Staff | UTAS Contacts

Zooplankton

UTAS Home > IMAS Home > Image Key > Chaetognatha >  Flaccisagitta enflata

Flaccisagitta enflata

Grassi (1881)

Download a fact sheet for Flaccisagitta enflata (826KB)

Taxonomy

Phylum Chaetognatha
Class Sagittoidea
Order Aphragmophora
Family Sagittidae
Genus Flaccisagitta
Species enflata

Size

  • Maximum adult body length 25 mm, tail 14-17% of length

Distinguishing characteristics 

  • Limp, flaccid body 
  • Hooks: 8-10
  • Anterior teeth: 4-10
  • Posterior teeth: 4-15
  • Body flaccid, transparent, widest around mid length
  • Transverse musculature absent
  • Medium width head
  • Hooks not serrated
  • Fin bridge absent
  • Ventral ganglion midway between head and anterior fins
  • Anterior and posterior fins short, partially rayed, round. Anterior fins separate to posterior fins
  • Collarette absent
  • Gut diverticula absent
  • Small eyes, with star-shaped pigment spot
  • Seminal vesicles round and touching tail fin, well separated from posterior fins
  • Ovaries short, reaching to middle of posterior fins; ova large
  • Adhesive papillae and adhesive organs absent
  • Apical glands absent

Distribution

  • Epipelagic
  • Circumglobal, between 40°N to 40°S

Ecology

References

  • Conway, D. V. P., White, R.G., Hugues-Dit-Ciles, J., Gallienne, C.P. and Robins, D.B. (2003). Guide to the coastal and surface zooplankton of the south-western Indian Ocean, Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom
  • Marine species identification portal, http://species-identification.org/index.php