Forbes, 1848
Description
Umbrella semiglobular, at most a little higher than wide, with fairly thick apex [Lizzia blondina ]; jelly moderately thick; velum broad. Four radial canals and ring canal narrow.
Gastric peduncle short, pyramidal; manubrium shorter than length bell cavity, cone-shaped, with four-sided base. Mouth with four unbranched oral tentacles inserted above mouth opening [L.blondina-mouth ].
Gonads completely surrounding manubrium. [L.blondina-stomach+male ] Columns of large endodermal cells stretching throughout length of peduncle along radial canals onto manubrium to below the asexually produced medusa buds.
Eight large marginal tentacular bulbs, four perradial each with one to three tentacles, four interradial each with one tentacle. Without ocelli. [L.blondina-tentacle ]
Development: L.blondina-development; young specimen L.blondina-drawing .
Size
Umbrella up to 2 mm high and wide.
Colour
Manubrium and tentacle bulbs pale straw, yellow, or yellowish brown [L.blondina-habitus ].
Ecology
Very common in the plankton from May to October, at times exceedingly abundant as the result of rapid proliferation through asexual budding. Asexual reproduction not restricted to a period preceding sexual maturity, therefore generally encountered as a mix of both sexual and asexual individuals.
Distribution in the North Sea
Found along all North Sea coasts.
World distribution
E North Atlantic Ocean including Mediterranean Sea.
[After Russell, 1953a; Russell, 1953b; Kramp, 1959, 1961]