(Quoy and Gaimard, 1827)
Description
Umbrella broad, saucer-shaped, with thick jelly except at the thinner marginal region which hangs down vertically like a short skirt leaving virtually no subumbrellar cavity; velum narrow, ca 1/10 bell radius [O.funeraria-drawing2].
Marginal tentacles typically 64-128 in fully grown medusa; when extended, length about equal to radius of bell; with well developed bases.
Stomach small, not wide, in form of 8-rayed star; mouth with 8 short pointed lips with slightly wavy margins [O.funeraria-drawing ]; manubrium short to absent. Radial canals irregular in number, typically 8 (but 4 when young), narrow, straight. Excretory pores on small papillae projecting into subumbrellar cavity and leading from ring canal at base of each marginal tentacle.
Gonads short, 1/4 or less of length of radial canals, mostly situated on 'skirt' of bell, not quite reaching ring canal [O.funeraria-drawing ].
Neither cirri nor ocelli. Closed marginal vesicles 1-3, usually 2, between adjacent tentacles, each having 1-3 concretions.
Size
Fully grown medusa 30-40 mm across, occasionally up to ca 50 mm.
Colour
Stomach and marginal tentacles dark brown or blackish violet, appearing almost black; gonads yellowish-brown veined with violet [O.funeraria-habitus ].
Ecology
In Norwegian waters medusa recorded April-November; probably breeds the year round since individuals of all ages occur together at all seasons.
Depth range
Deeper offshore waters.
Distribution in the North Sea
May be found close to the northern limits of the North Sea
World distribution
NE Atlantic Ocean, from S off Iceland, between there and the Faeroes, in Norwegian fjords, the Mediterranean Sea, Strait of Gibraltar and Bay of Biscay (Russell, 1953a; Kramp, 1961; Fraser, 1972). The true world distribution may well be wider than so far reported.
Remark
Hydroid unknown.
[After Cornelius, 1995a]