The stalked trumpet jelly (''Depastromorpha africana)'', is a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

stalked jellyfish Stauromedusae are the stalked jellyfishes. They are the sole living members of the class Staurozoa and belong to the medusozoa subphylum of Cnidaria. They are unique among medusa jellyfish in that they do not have an alternation of polyp and med ...

in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Depastridae. It is the only member of the

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

''Depastromorpha''.

Description

This small stalked jellyfish grows up to 2 cm in height and may be pale to reddish in colour. It has a wrinkled body column and multiple stalked tentacles with knobbed ends surrounding the mouth.Jones, Georgina. ''A field guide to the marine animals of the Cape Peninsula.'' SURG, Cape Town, 2008.

Distribution

This species has been found only around the South African coast from the Cape Peninsula to Hermanus from the shore to shallow subtidal. It is possibly

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to this region.

Ecology

This stalked jelly is usually found on seaweeds, particularly ''

Caulerpa filiformis ''Caulerpa filiformis'' is a species of seaweed in the ''Caulerpaceae'' family. It has been recorded at coastal sites in Australia and South Africa. References

Caulerpa, filiformis Protists described in 1841 Chlorophyta species {{Ulvop ...

''.Day J.H, Field, J.G. & Penrith M.J. 1970. The Benthic Fauna and Fishes of False Bay, South Africa. ''Trans. Roy. Soc. S. Afr,'' 34(1):1-108

References

Haliclystidae Animals described in 1935 {{Staurozoa-stub