Praya reticulata
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| Praya reticulata | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Cnidaria |
| Class: | Hydrozoa |
| Order: | Siphonophorae |
| Family: | Prayidae |
| Genus: | Praya |
| Species: | P. reticulata |
| Binomial name | |
| Praya reticulata (Bigelow, 1911) | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Nectodroma reticulata Bigelow, 1911 | |
Praya reticulata is a species of siphonophore in the family Prayidae. It has a distinctive net of radial canals that make up its central cavity, a distinctive somatocyst that sharply doubles back, and asymmetrical canals on its bracts. The species was described by Henry Bryant Bigelow following its discovery during an expedition of the USS Albatross. The specific epithet reticulata is Latin, and comes from the word reticulatus which means "net-like".[1] In Chinese the species is called 網管帕腊水母, which can be Romanized as wǎngguǎn pà là shuǐmǔ.[2]
A colony of Praya reticulata can grow up to 100 centimetres (39 in) long. The nectophores that propel the siphonophore are apparent, with a size of roughly 5.5 cm in length and 2.0 cm in diameter, and extend past the base of the underside below the opening of the central cavity.[3][4] The central cavity is made up of many radial canals that have numerous anastomoses and create a net-like or mesh-like pattern.[3][5] There is a deep canal that runs along the length of the underside of the hydroecium, which may or may not be covered by flaps.[4]
The somatocyst is one of the most distinctive features of P. reticulata. Its upper portion runs towards the front of the siphonophore, then sharply doubles back towards the rear. Lateral trunks branch off this portion, which sometimes branch out further at their ends.[4] The bracts have unusually asymmetric canals, with the canal on the right side being much longer than the one on the left. The stems and bracts of P. reticulata seem to lack any swimming bell.[6] Gonophores of females of the species are up to 1.3 cm long, while those of males are only 0.7 mm long. Both sexes have gonophores with an arrangement of branches that is unique among the Prayids, with three branches reaching outwards from the apex of the gonophore.[7] The tentilla of the species lack the mouthless siphons and tentacles present in some other siphonophores.[8]
Praya reticulata is most similar in appearance to Praya dubia. It can be told apart by its radial canals that create a mesh-like pattern, [5] as opposed to the bifurcating canals of P. dubia.[3] It also has a somewhat smaller central sac than P. dubia.[4]