Lampocteis cruentiventer gen. nov., sp nov: A new mesopelagic lobate ctenophore, representing the type of a new family (Class Tentaculata, Order Lobata, Family Lampoctenidae, fam, nov.)
Gr. Harbison et al., Lampocteis cruentiventer gen. nov., sp nov: A new mesopelagic lobate ctenophore, representing the type of a new family (Class Tentaculata, Order Lobata, Family Lampoctenidae, fam, nov.), B MARIN SCI, 68(2), 2001, pp. 299-311
This paper describes a new genus and species of mesopelagic ctenophore in t
he Order Lobata, Lampocteis cruentiver, which was first collected in 1979 o
ff southern California and later collected and studied in detail from 1991
to 1999 in Monterey Bay. This ctenophore differs from all previously descri
bed lobate ctenophores in two major ways: (1) all of the meridional canals
have blind aboral endings, and (2) the body is penetrated by a deep notch l
ocated between the adjacent subtentacular comb rows at the level of the inf
undibulum. Because of these distinctive features, we feel justified in erec
ting a new family, the Lampoctenidae, for this species. Several other featu
res (the large pigmented stomodaeum, the large diverticulate paragastric ca
nals and the well-developed strongly iridescent comb plates) distinguish th
is species. Based on the discovery oft. cruentiventer, we have tentatively
revised the diagnoses of the families Bolinopsidae and Eurhamphaeidae to ta
ke into account the spatial relationships of the adradial and meridional ca
nals. We provisionally recognize the following families in the Order Lobata
as valid: Bathocyroidae, Bolinopsidae, Eurhamphaeidae, Lampoctenidae, Leuc
otheidae, and Ocyropsidae.