(Haeckel, 1877)

Description
Umbrella bell-shaped, higher than wide; jelly thick [Dipurena ophiogaster ]; velum moderately broad. Four radial canals and ring canal narrow. Apical chamber distinct, globular.
Manubrium cylindrical, with bulbous mass at its oral end; when fully extended several times longer than umbrella; mouth circular, simple [D.ophiogaster-habitus ].
Gonads discontinuous, with 2-6 segments completely surrounding manubrium leaving upper part free [D.ophiogaster-medusae ].
Four perradial marginal tentacles beset with scattered nematocyst clusters and small terminal cluster. Marginal tentacle bulbs moderately large, with one ocellus each.
Young medusa: D.ophiogaster-young-habitus .

Size
Umbrella 5 mm high.

Colour
Apical chamber and tentacle bulbs yellowish brown or reddish yellow; manubrium and gonads sometimes rose-coloured [D.ophiogaster-habitus ]; marginal tentacles pale brownish when contracted; ocelli black.

Ecology
Fairly common between May and September in south-western British waters.

Distribution in the North Sea
May be absent from the North Sea; W English Channel.

World distribution
Northwest European waters, Mediterranean; Indo-Pacific Oceans.

[After Russell, 1950b; Russell, 1953a; Kramp, 1959]

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Cnidaria
Superclass Hydrozoa
Class Leptolida
Subclass Anthoathecatae
Order Capitata
Family Corynidae
Genus Dipurena
Species Dipurena ophiogaster

Status in World Register of Marine Species

Accepted name: Dipurena ophiogaster (Haeckel, 1877)

Scientific synonyms and common names

Sarsia strangulata | Allman, 1871
Sarsia dolichogaster | Spagnolinmi, 1876
Tetrapurena ophiogaster | Haeckel, 1877
Purena brownei | Bigelow, 1909

Fraser, J.H., 1972. The distribution of the Medusae in the Scottish area. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (B) 74(1): 1-25.

Kramp, P.L., 1959. The hydromedusae of the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent waters. Dana Report 46: 1-283; 2 plates, 335 text figures.

Russell, F.S., 1950b. Hydromedusae. Family: Corynidae. Fiches d'Identification du Zooplancton, 29 (1950). Conseil International pour l'Exploration de la Mer, Kopenhagen.

Russell, F.S., 1953a. The medusae of the British Isles. Anthomedusae, Leptomedusae, Limnomedusae, Trachymedusae, and Narcomedusae. Cambridge University Press, 530 pp. 319 figures, 35 plates.

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