Corymorpha with detached medusae Identifier: royalnaturalhist612lyde (
find matches)Title:
The royal natural historyYear:
1893 (
1890s)Authors:
Lydekker, Richard, 1849-1915 Sclater, Philip Lutley, 1829-1913 Frostick, W. B., former owner. DSI Brooks, W. T., former owner. DSISubjects:
Zoology Natural historyPublisher:
London and New York : Frederick Warne & Co.Contributing Library:
Smithsonian LibrariesDigitizing Sponsor:
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view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.Text Appearing Before Image:Pedis (nat. size). 4S6 CCELENTERA TES. resemblance to the tube-feet of the star-fishes, being very elastic and contractile,and carrying a sucker at the tip. They are used in the living state for attachment,and for creeping in the manner of a star-fish. The disc of Pedis is about Hinches in diameter. Of the forms among which the reproductive individuals swim away as jelly-fish, we may take as an example Corymorpha nutans. In this creature, betweenthe five individuals grouped together in the illustration, five small creatures, eachprovided with a filamentous appendage, are to be seen swimming, which are themedusas belonging to this animal. Each egg of these minute medusas, which areno larger than in the illustration, develops into a ciliated larva, which, sinking toText Appearing After Image:Corymorpha, with detached medusa. the bottom, grows into an attached Corymorpha. The illustration shows theseanimals, which in the polyp form are always single, of the natural size. Unlikemost animals of this sort, they do not attach themselves to seaweed or stones, butlive on fine sand, into which they sink the posterior end of the stem. Numerousthread-like appendages of this buried part penetrate the sand in all directions,thus firmly attaching the animal. The mouth at the anterior end is encircled bytentacles, a second circle of tentacles surrounding the widened part of the bodywhich contains the stomach. Immediately above this latter circle, the buds standin clusters; in summer they are found in all stages of development, and evenwhile attached to their stalks assume the complete structure of a medusa. Theymove their umbrellas actively, break loose, and thus complete the circle of develop- JELLY-FISH, ETC. 487Note About Images Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original work.