''Mastigias siderea'' is a species of jellyfish in the family
Mastigiidae. It is native to the southern Pacific Ocean.
Description
The
medusa
In Greek mythology, Medusa (; Ancient Greek: Μέδουσα "guardian, protectress"), also called Gorgo, was one of the three monstrous Gorgons, generally described as winged human females with living venomous snakes in place of hair. Those ...
of ''M. siderea'' grows to a diameter of about . There are about 60 marginal lappets and the surface of the bell is sculptured with deep radial furrows between these. The eight mouth arms are as long as the diameter of the bell, terminating in club-shaped filaments. There are seven radial canals which link to the ring canal. The bell is pale yellowish-brown with white spots; these are small near the margin but larger over the ring canal. The mouth arms are brown, spotted with white, and the terminal filaments are yellowish.
Distribution
''M. siderea'' occurs in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is a
pelagic
The pelagic zone consists of the water column of the open ocean, and can be further divided into regions by depth (as illustrated on the right). The word ''pelagic'' is derived . The pelagic zone can be thought of as an imaginary cylinder or w ...
species, and its method of reproduction has not been studied.
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References
Animals described in 1896
Mastigiidae
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