Seratosagitta tasmanica
Thompson (1947)
Download a fact sheet for Serratosagitta tasmanica (PDF 294KB)
Taxonomy
| Phylum | Chaetognatha |
| Class | Sagittoidea |
| Order | Aphragmophora |
| Family | Sagittidae |
| Genus | Serratosagitta |
| Species | tasmanica |
Size
- Maximum body length 30 mm, tail 20-30% of body
Distinguishing characteristics
- Serrated hooks 6-9
- Anterior teeth 6-9
- Posterior teeth 9-15
- Body needle-like and firm, opaque
- Transverse musculature absent
- Head large
- Fin bridge absent, but fins close together
- Anterior fins of medium length, reaching to posterior end of ventral ganglion, partially rayed, rounded
- Posterior fins long, partially rayed, rounded
- Collarette absent or very small
- Gut diverticula absent
- Small eyes with T-shaped pigment spot
- Seminal vesicles with elaborate knob with numerous protuberances, between fins, nearly touching both when mature
- Ovaries long, may reach anterior end of ventral ganglion
- Ova small
- Adhesive papillae and adhesive organs absent
- Apical glands absent
Distribution
Epipelagic
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