Cymbulia sibogae Tesch, 1903
(also see the Cymbulia sibogae.mov movie)

Overview

This is a shell-less pteropod, with a large cartilaginous slipper-like pseudoconch, 2.4 cm long. The wings are disc-shaped and the visceral mass forms a dark nucleus embedded in the perfectly transparent pseudoconch. The pseudoconch is pointed and covered with cusps. It is an elegant swimmer that feeds by means of a mucous web on microplankton. It is found throughout warm waters of the Indian Ocean (Cymbulia sibogae 1).

Taxonomic Description

The slender pseudoconch is much smaller compared to Cymbulia peroni though it is similar in structure (Cymbulia sibogae line drawing, Cymbulia sibogae). The rows of spines are arranged as in Cymbulia peroni morpha peroni. The spines, near the opening of the cavity, are absent or extremely small. The dorsal end of the pseudoconch is pointed. The two rows of spines ending at the ventral points do not have a constriction in the middle, being almost straight throughout their length; the pseudoconch does not show a medial constriction. The anterior end is slightly hollow and provided with small spines. According to Tesch (1904) the anatomy is similar to that of Cymbulia peroni.
The pseudoconch varies in length from 11 to 24 mm.

Juveniles

A special description is not available.

Reproduction

This species is a protandric hermaphrodite.

Ecology

This species is phytophagous.

Distribution

This species has a Atlanto-Indian ocean distribution, concentrated around the centres of the S-Atlantic and Indian Ocean mainly between 30°N and 40°S. A small penetration into the W-Pacific Ocean is found. This Pacific population is not a major presence as it concerns only an eastward spread of populations, see the Cymbulia sibogae map.

Types

Cymbulia sibogae Tesch, 1903: 113 (1904), pl. 3, figs. 88-90.
Lectotype: ZMAN (alcohol collection). Paralectotypes: ZMAN, 12 spec. (alcohol collection).
Type locality: 2°22'S 126°46'E. Coll.: Siboga, stat. 189a.

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Mollusca
Class Gastropoda
Subclass Euthyneura
Order Thecosomata
Suborder Pseudothecosomata
Family Cymbuliidae
Subfamily Cymbuliinae
Genus Cymbulia
Species Cymbulia sibogae

Status in World Register of Marine Species

Not included in WoRMS database

Scientific synonyms and common names

Cymbulia sibogae Tesch, 1903

Synonyms

Cymbulia sibogae n. sp. Tesch, 1903: 113
Cymbulia peroni McGowan, 1968: 106
Cymbulia tricavernosa? n. sp. Zhang, 1964: 159


Tesch (1946) is of the opinion that the differences between the species in this genus are only caused by fixation or differences in habitat, so that all species, like the present one are synonymous with C. peroni. As many taxonomic characters are not effected by fixation, the species are left separated here.

Haagensen, D. A., 1976 Caribbean zooplankton. Part II. Thecosomata. Off. Nav. Res. Dept. of the Navy. U. S. Govt. Print Off. Washington D. C.: 551-712.

Magaldi, N. H., 1971b. Sobre la presencia en el Atlantico sudoccidental de Cymbulia peroni de Blainville, 1818. Neotropica 17(53): 92-94, 1 fig.

McGowan, J. A. and Fraundorf, V. J., 1966. The relationship between size and net used and estimates of zooplankton diversity. Limn. Oceanogr. 11(4): 456-469.

McGowan, J. A., 1967. Distributional atlas of pelagic molluscs in the California Current region. CALCOFI Atlas 6: 1-218.

McGowan, J. A., 1968. The Thecosomata and Gymnosomata of California. Veliger 3 (suppl.): 103-130, pls 12-20.

Meisenheimer, J., 1905c. Pteropoda. Deutsch. Tiefsee Exp. 1898-1899 IX: 1-314, Atlas Pl. 1-27 Map 1-9.

Newman, L. J., 1990. Holoplanktonic molluscs (Gastropoda; Thecosomata, Gymnosomata, and Heteropoda) from the waters of Australia and Papua New Guinea: their taxonomy, distribution and biology. PhD Thesis Univ. Qld. Australia. 208 pp.

Rampal, J., 1975. Les thécosomes (mollusques pélagiques). Systématique et évolution écologie et biogéographie méditerranéennes. Aix-Marseille (Thesis Univ. Provence CNRS AO 11932): 1-485, 15 tabs, 99 figs.

Rampal, J., 1980a. Biogeographie Méditerranéne d'apres l'etude des Thécosome (Mollusques pelagiques). J. Etud. Syst. Biogeogr. Médit Cagliari CIESM: 45-54.

Rampal, J., 1985a. Distribution des Mollusques Thécosome en mer Rouge Meridionale. Rapp. Comm. int. Mer Médit., 29 (9): 265-267.

Rampal, J., 1990. Les Thecosomes de la mer Rouge. Bull. Inst. Oceanogr. Monaco (spec.) 7: 103-107.

Rao, D. V. S., 1969. Occurrence of Cymbulia peroni de Blainville, a pseudothecosomatous pteropod, in the Bay of Bengal. Nautilus 82(4): 123-125, 1 fig.

Richter, G., 1979. Die thecosomen Pteropoden der "Meteor"-Expedition in den Indischen Ozean 1964/65. "Meteor" Forsch. Ergebnisse (D) 29: 1-29.

Starobogatov, J. I., 1971. Ordo Thecosomata; ordo Gymnosomata; ordo Heteropoda. In: Polevoy Zool. Inst. Akad. Moscou. opredeliteli planktona (without page or figure numbers, not bound, mimiographed). [in Russsian]

Stubbings, H. G., 1938. Pteropoda. Sci. Rep. John Murray Expedition 1933-1934, 5(2): 3-33, 2 figs.

Tanaka, T., 1971. Pteropoda and Heteropoda (Gastropoda, Mollusca) collected in the western Pacific Ocean in the northern summer 1968. Kaiyo Rep. 3: 27-38.

Tesch, J. J., 1903. Vorläufige Mitteilung über die Thecosomata und Gymnosomata der Siboga-Expedition. Tijdsch. Nederl. Dierk. Ver. (2)8(2): 111-117.

Tesch, J. J., 1904. The Thecosomata and Gymnosomata of the Siboga Expedition. Siboga Rep. 52: 1-92, 156 figs.

Tesch, J. J., 1913c. Mollusca, Pteropoda. In: F. E. Schulze. Das Tierreich. Eine Zusammenstellung und Kennzeichnung der rezenten Tierformen 36. Berlin (Friedberger and Sohn): i-xvi, 1-154, 108 figs.

Tokioka, T., 1955c. On some plankton animals collected by the Syunkotu-Maru in May-June 1954, 4. Thecosomatous pteropods. Publ. Seto mar. biol. Lab. 5(1): 59-74, pls 7-13.

Tokioka, T., 1961. The structure of the operculum of the species of Atlantidae (Gastropoda: Heteropoda) as a taxonomic criterion, with records of some pelagic mollusks in the North Pacific. Publ. Seto mar. biol. Lab. 9(2): 267-332 (art. 15, pp. 1-86).

Spoel, S. van der and Boltovskoy, D., 1981. Pteropoda. In: Boltovskoy, D. (ed.). Atlas del zooplancton del Atlantico Sudoccidental. Publ. INIDEP Argentina: 493-512.

Spoel, S. van der, Boltovskoy, D. and Jankivich, S. S., 1981. Classification y distribucion. In: Boltovskoy, D. (ed.). Atlas del zooplancton del Atlantico Sudoccidental. Publ. INIDEP Argentina: 512-524.

Spoel, S. van der, 1962b. Notes on some Pteropoda described by J. J. Tesch. Basteria 26 (1-2): 24-28.

Spoel, S. van der, 1971d. The pelagic Mollusca from the "Atlantide" and "Galathea" Expeditions collected in the East Atlantic. Atlantide Rep. 11: 99-139.

Spoel, S. van der, 1976c. Pseudothecosomata, Gymnosomata and Heteropoda. Bohn, Scheltema & Holkema, Utrecht. 484 pp. 246 figs.

Spoel, S. van der, 1981a. Descripcion de los conchas embrionarias de Cavoliniidae. In: Boltovskoy, D. (ed.). Atlas del zooplancton del Atlantico Sudoccidental. Publ. INIDEP Argentina: 525-531.

Yamaji, I., 1991. Illustrations of the marine plankton of Japan. 3°Ed. Hoikusha Publ. Co. Ltd, Osaka.: 1-538.

Zhang, F., 1964. The pelagic molluscs off the China coast, 1. A systematic study of Pteropoda (Opisthobranchia), Heteropoda (Prosobranchia) and Janthinidae (Ptenoglossa, Prosobranchia). Stud. Mar. Sinica 5: 125-226.

Zheng Zhong (et al.), 1989. Marine Planktology. China Ocean Press. Bejing: i-viii, 1-454. [transl. from Chinese orig.]

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