Rhodaliidae Explained

Rhodaliidae is a family of siphonophores. In Japanese they are called Japanese: ヒノマルクラゲ .^[1]

Rhodaliids have a characteristic gas-secreting structure called aurophore. Below the enlarged pneumatophore (float), the siphosome and nectosome are contracted into a complex. Rhodaliids have a benthic lifestyle and use their tentacles to attach themselves to the seafloor.

Genera and species

Rhodaliidae contains the following subtaxa:

• Angelopsis Fewkes, 1886
  • Angelopsis euryale Pugh, 1983
  • Angelopsis globosa Fewkes, 1886
• Arancialia Hissmann, 2005
  • Arancialia captonia Hissmann, 2005
• Archangelopsis Lens & van Riemsdijk, 1908
  • Archangelopsis jagoa Hissmann, Schauer & Pugh, 1995
  • Archangelopsis typica Lens & van Riemsdijk, 1908
• Dendrogramma Just, Kristensen & Olesen, 2014
  • Dendrogramma enigmatica Just, Kristensen & Olesen, 2014
• Dromalia Bigelow, 1911
  • Dromalia alexandri Bigelow, 1911
• Rhodalia Haeckel, 1888
  • Rhodalia miranda Haeckel, 1888
• Steleophysema Moser, 1924
  • Steleophysema aurophora Moser, 1924
• Stephalia Haeckel, 1888
  • Stephalia bathyphysa (Haeckel, 1888)
  • Stephalia corona Haeckel, 1888
  • Stephalia dilata (Bigelow, 1911)
• Thermopalia Pugh, 1983
  • Thermopalia taraxaca Pugh, 1983
• Tridensa Hissmann, 2005
  • Tridensa rotunda Hissmann, 2005
  • Tridensa sulawensis Hissmann, 2005

Further reading

• Pugh, P. R. (1983). Benthic Siphonophores: A Review of the Family Rhodaliidae (Siphonophora, Physonectae). Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 301(1105): 165-300. (look up in IMIS), available online at https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.1983.0025

Notes and References

1. Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology. (2009 onwards). Biological Information System for Marine Life (BISMaL). Accessed on 2018-11-21. available online at http://www.godac.jamstec.go.jp/bismal