Marine Species Identification Portal : Apolemia uvaria

(Lesueur, 1811)

Description
Nectophores separated from each other by a cluster of four to six short nectosomal tentacles.
Pneumatophore [A.uvaria-colony ]: bulb-shaped, widest near its apex and often flecked maroon.
Nectophore [Apolemia uvaria ]: resembling a half-walnut. The deep apical wings wrap around the base oft the nectophore above. Large nectosac with strongly S-shaped lateral radial canals which occasionally bear short side branches.
Bracts: flimsy.
Siphosome: terminal cormidial groups can become detached to lead a separate existence.
Juveniles: bracts: being semi-circular in shape, bearing opaque patches of nematocysts on the surface.

Colour
Nectosac often reddish-brown.

Size
Nectophore 15-20 mm in size.
Siphosome up to a length of 20 m or more.

Depth range
In the top 100 m of water but no records exist of its presence in shallow or less saline waters.

Remarks
The systematics of the apolemids is not well established.

Distribution in the North Sea
Rare in the northern North Sea.

World distribution
Well known from the Mediterranean Sea and there are several records from the Atlantic Ocean, Celtic Sea and North Sea.

[After Kirkpatrick and Pugh, 1984]

Apolemia uvaria