Medusae of the genus Rhabdoon (Hydrozoa: Anthomedusae: Tubularioidea) in the Arctic Ocean

• Main Authors: S D Stepanjants, & K N Kosobokova, St Petersburg, Russia, P P Shirshov
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Arctic; Arctic Ocean; Zooplankton
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.1061.8656; http://www.zin.ru/labs/marine/papers/Stepanjants-2006-Medusae-of-the-genus-Rhabdoon-in-the-Arctic-OceanRhabdoon.pdf

Abstract One hundred and three specimens of juvenile and mature one-tentacle, relatively small-sized hydromedusae of unclear systematic position were found in the zooplankton collections from the Arctic Ocean. Examination of the mature specimens led to the conclusion that their morphology fits with the last diagnoses of the genus Rhabdoon (Anthomedusae) and that they belong to the species named here as R. reesi . The study of the morphology and cnidome composition of immature medusae suggested them to be young stages of the same species. The comparative study of these juvenile forms with Yakovia polinae , the medusae described previously from the Arctic as a new genus and new species, suggested Y. polinae to be a junior synonym of R. reesi. The distribution of R. reesi in the Arctic Ocean is mapped according to recent and historical records.