Eucheilota paradoxica

Distribution in South America: medusa — Atlantic Ocean, Brazil, from 20.5 ° S to 30 ° S (Vannucci 1963; Navas- Pereira 1980; Ramírez & Zamponi 1981; Tronolone 2001, 2008; Migotto et al. 2002; Nascimento 2010; Silveira & Morandini 2011; Nogueira Jr. 2012; Bonecker et al. 2014; Nagata et al. 2014 a, 2014 b; Nogueira Jr. et al. 2015 a).

Sumber: Census of Cnidaria (Medusozoa) and Ctenophora from South American marine waters

Description. Umbrella higher than wide, mesoglea thick, 0.3 – 1.5 mm in diameter. Almost all specimens retained their typical umbrellar shape after collection and fixation. Manubrium flask-shaped, short, reaching less than half of the umbrella height. Four radial canals usually with medusa buds (Fig. 19). Four marginal tentacles, with 1 – 3 pairs of lateral cirri, four rudimentary interradial bulbs with lateral cirri. 8 adradial large marginal statocysts. In a few specimens, some statocysts may be displaced to the interradial position. A single statolith per statocyst easily visualized by staining with methylene blue. Very small individuals (<0.5 mm in diameter) with only two marginal tentacles, alternated with two rudimentary bulbs, both with lateral cirri, and without medusa buds. Systematic remarks. This species can be readily differentiated from others of the genus by the frequent presence of medusa buds on radial canals (Kramp 1962), and four tentacular bulbs with lateral cirri alternating with rudimentary bulbs without tentacles, but with cirri (Kramp 1959 b, 1961, 1962 and Bouillon 1999). Biological data. Most of our specimens of 0.3 – 0.8 mm in diameter had medusa buds, beginning to develop near the manubrium. No adult medusae, with gonads, which develop after the budding stage, were found. Adults have never been collected in the Atlantic or Mediterranean (Carré & Carré 1990); however Uchida & Sugiura (1975) reported both stages, successively in Japan. Bouillon et al. (2004) mentioned specimens with up to 5 mm in the Mediterranean, Uchida & Sugiura (1975) mentioned specimens measuring 2.9 mm that were highly developed, with the four interradial rudimentary bulbs developed into tentacular bulbs.