Coeloplana meteoris
| Coeloplana meteoris | |
|---|---|
| Two Coeloplana meteoris, with tentacles streaming | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Ctenophora |
| Class: | Tentaculata |
| Order: | Platyctenida |
| Family: | Coeloplanidae |
| Genus: | Coeloplana |
| Species: | C. meteoris
|
| Binomial name | |
| Coeloplana meteoris Thiel, 1968[1]
| |
Coeloplana meteoris, (previously known as Benthoplana meteoris) is a species of benthic comb jelly native to the Indo-Pacific region that has also been found in the Arabian-Persian gulf.[2] They grow up to a few centimeters in diameter.[3]
Description
Like other platyctenids, it has a flattened underside and two tentacles that extend from tentacle sheathes on its aboral side. These sheathes are more prominent in Coeloplana meteoris than in other species of platyctenids, giving it its recognizable shape.[2][4] The three-dimensional nature of its body is unusual among platyctenes.[3]
Ecology
This comb jelly lives freely on soft sediment, unlike other benthic ctenophora which are typically parasitic.[4][3] They are hermaphroditic like most platyctenids, and are also capable of asexual reproduction via body fission and regeneration.[5]
Taxonomy
Based on recent morphological and genetic analysis, it has been suggested that the species Ctenoplana neritica is a juvenile form of Coeloplana meteoris.[3] The same analysis suggests that Coeloplana meteoris may be a member of a sister clade to Vallicula under the new genus Benthoplana rather than being a member of Coeloplana.[3]
References
- ^ WoRMS (1998). "Coeloplana meteoris Thiel, 1968". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
- ^ a b Bruno Welter Giraldes (2019). "The first record of the Indo-Pacific benthic ctenophore Coeloplana (Benthoplana) meteoris (Ctenophora: Coeloplanidae) in the Arabian-Persian Gulf". Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity. 12 (3): 467–469. doi:10.1016/j.japb.2019.03.012. hdl:10576/11524. ISSN 2287-884X.
- ^ a b c d e Bezio, Nicholas; Paulay, Gustav; Collins, Allen (2025). "Benthoplanidae, a new family of benthic ctenophores (Platyctenida), based on morphological and genetic data". JSE. doi:10.1111/jse.70023. Retrieved 15 November 2025.
- ^ a b Alamaru, Ada; Brokovich, Eran; Loya, Yossi (2016). "Four new species and three new records of benthic ctenophores (Family: Coeloplanidae) from the Red Sea". Marine Biodiversity. 46 (1): 261–279. Bibcode:2016MarBd..46..261A. doi:10.1007/s12526-015-0362-4. S2CID 255577612. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ^ "9". Invertebrate zoology : a tree of life approach. CRC Press, Taylor & Francis. 2021. p. 140. ISBN 9781482235814.