Corolla intermedia (Tesch, 1903)
[dubious species]

Overview

This is a shell-less pteropod with a large gelatinous slipper-like pseudoconch, 4 cm long. The pseudoconch is elongate-oval. The wings are disc-shaped and the visceral mass forms a dark nucleus embedded in the perfectly transparent pseudoconch. The pseudoconch is rounded at both sides and covered with small warts. The proboscis is prominent. It is an elegant swimmer that feeds with a mucous web on microplankton. It probably lives in the all oceans (Corolla intermedia 1).

Taxonomic Description

Pseudoconch transparent, yellowish, oval, both poles being nearly equal in shape. Aperture of the cavity not reaching to the middle of the pseudoconch. The small tubercles on the pseudoconch are irregularly distributed, while they are absent on the ventral side. At the aboral side the tubercles are smaller than elsewhere as in Corolla spectabilis. The border of the swimming disc is situated close to the ventral pseudoconch border. The mantle gland has two complete and one incomplete transparent transverse band and is asymmetrical; the left part is more developed than the right side (Corolla intermedia 1).
The length of the pseudoconch is up to 39 mm, the maximum diameter of the swimming disc up to 30 mm.

Juveniles

A special description is not available.

Reproduction

This species is a protandric hermaphrodite.

Ecology

This species is phytophagous and epipelagic.

Distribution

In principle the distribution of this species is similar to that of C. calceola and C. ovata, which also suggests a synonymy of the three species. However, insufficient distributional data are known for all species. Differences in north-south range and differences in the penetration into the Pacific may be present. This species is found in the west tropical Atlantic, the Benguela Current, the Agulhas Current and the Indian Ocean, and shows a more or less neritic character, see the Corolla intermedia map.

Types

Cymbuliopsis intermedia Tesch, 1903: 113 (1904), pl. 4, figs. 100-104.
Lectotype: ZMAN (alcohol collection). Paralectotypes: ZMAN, 7 spec. (alcohol collection).
Type locality: 1°S 128°30'E. Coll.: Siboga, stat. 144.

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Mollusca
Class Gastropoda
Subclass Euthyneura
Order Thecosomata
Suborder Pseudothecosomata
Family Cymbuliidae
Subfamily Glebinae
Genus Corolla
Species Corolla intermedia

Status in World Register of Marine Species

Not included in WoRMS database

Scientific synonyms and common names

Corolla intermedia (Tesch, 1903)

Synonyms

Cymbuliopsis intermedia n. sp. Tesch, 1903: 113
Corolla intermedia Meisenheimer, 1905c: 41
Desmopterus intermedia? Wormelle, 1962: 122

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

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]

Taki, I. and Okutani, T., 1962. Reports on the biology of the 'Umitaka-Maru' expedition, 2. Planktonic Gastropoda collected by the trainning vessel 'Umitaka-Maru' from the Pacific and Indian Oceans in the course of het Antarctic expedition, 1956. J. Fac. Fish. Anim. Husb. Hiroshima Univ. 4: 81-97.

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.

Tesch, J. J., 1946. The thecosomatous pteropods, 1. The Atlantic. Dana Report 28: 1-82, 37 figs, 8 pls.

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.

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

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

Wormelle, R., 1962. A survey of the standing crop of plankton of the Florida Current, 6. A study of the distribution of the pteropods of the Florida Current. Bull. Mar. Sci. Gulf Caribb. 12(1): 95-136, 3 tabs, 39 figs.

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

No distribution map was available at OBIS the last time we checked. Retry now.

For further info about Corolla intermedia, you can also look up this species under:

You can continue searching for Corolla intermedia on one of these Web sites:

Fauna Europaea (animals) | IOPI (plants) | NCBI (genetic)

Google | Yahoo | MSN | Wikipedia