Benthoplana
Genus of comb jelly
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Benthoplana is a genus of platyctenid containing a single species, Benthoplana meteoris (previously classified as Coeloplana meteoris). B. meteoris is native to the Indo-Pacific region but has also been found in the Arabian-Persian gulf.[2] They grow up to a few centimeters in diameter.[3]
| Benthoplana | |
|---|---|
| |
| Two B. meteoris, with tentacles streaming | |
 | |
| B. meteoris on sediment | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Ctenophora |
| Class: | Tentaculata |
| Order: | Platyctenida |
| Family: | Benthoplanidae |
| Genus: | Benthoplana |
| Species: | B. meteoris |
| Binomial name | |
| Benthoplana meteoris Thiel, 1968[1] | |
Description
Like other platyctenids, B. meteoris has a flattened underside and two tentacles that extend from tentacle sheathes on its aboral side. These sheathes are more prominent in Benthoplana meteoris than in other species of platyctenids, giving it its recognizable shape.[2][4] This three-dimensional aspect of its body is unusual among platyctenids.[3]
Ecology
Taxonomy
Based on recent morphological and genetic analysis, it has been suggested that the species Ctenoplana neritica is a juvenile form of B. meteoris.[3] The same analysis reclassified B. meteoris as a member of a sister genus to Vallicula under the new family Benthoplanidae rather than as a member of Coeloplana.[3]
