Benthoplana
| 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]
| |
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]
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
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 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]
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.