Craterolophus convolvulus
Stauromedusae UK - An online guide to the Stalked jellyfish (Stauromedusae)
found around the coastal waters of the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Includes notes on their identification, and where and how to find them.
- Goblet stalked jellyfish*
First described as -
Lucernaria convolvulus, Johnston in Mag. Nat. Hist. Volume VIII. Page 59, Fig. 3. 1835. (Plate)
For original text see - Lucernaria convolvulus Johnston in
Mag. Nat. Hist. Vol. viii. page 59, fig. 3. 1835.
WoRMS taxon details for -
Craterolophus convolvulus (Johnston, 1835) - External Link
Oral view of Craterolophus convolvulus
Lateral view of Craterolophus convolvulus
* Craterolophus convolvulus is known as the Goblet stalked jellyfish in North America , ref. A Practical Guide to the Marine Animals of Northeastern North America, Leland W. Pollock, 1998. It is not known who or when the species gained this common name, if earlier. Here in the UK, Philip Henry Gosse used the name Goblet Lucernaria to describe Depastrum cyathiforme in 1854, stalked jellyfish were then commonly referred to as Lucernaria collectively and commonly. The name "Goblet Lucernaria" does not seem to have been widely used and perhaps only appears in THE AQUARIUM: UNVEILING OF THE WONDERS OF THE DEEP SEA. By PHILIP HENRY GOSSE, A.L.S. etc. 1854. p. 92-95. The name Goblet stalked jellyfish has also been applied to Manania atlantica in Canada. There are therefore at least three species that are or have been called 'Goblet stalked jellyfish'.
Brief Description
- Calyx, deep goblet or urn-shaped.
- Oral face to 25mm wide, and to 30mm high, including the short stalk (peduncle).
- Arms short, widely equidistant.
- 60-80 tentacles on each arm. Tentacles at tip of arm and may progress down the aboral surface of the arm.
- Four pairs of two gonads that are more or less united proximally. Pair, appearing feathery or plume-like. The four pairs cruciform in oral view.
Bell, generally one colour, red-brown, brown, red, pinkish-red; and elongated, along with with the short stalk, forming a goblet shape. White nematocysts are variable in their number and where they occur, and may be limited to the gonad tips and oral surface of the upper arms. Nematocysts may also be present between the arms in some specimens. That said, nematocysts on the oral surface are far fewer in number than in species like Calvadosia campanulata or Calvadosia cruxmelitensis, and are hardly present, if seen at all, on the aboral surface of the bell. Sometimes the white nematocysts in Craterolophus convolvulus are overall, hardly noticeable.
The arms and secondary tentacles are generally short, secondary tentacles occur at the tips of the arms, but may be seen to extend down, and arise from, the aboral surface of the arms. This can be seen in viewing the bell laterally or from above. Primary tentacles may be present or completely absent, or may be present in the form of much reduced or residual stubs.
More to follow ............
Selection of images
Selection of larger images (1200 x 900), chosen to best display the species. Images taken at various locations in Cornwall in September 2012. All images ©David Fenwick.
1. Craterolophus convolvulus. Oral view of mature specimen.
Cape Cornwall, Cornwall. 03.09.12.
2. Craterolophus convolvulus. Lateral view of mature specimen. Cape Cornwall, Cornwall. 03.09.12.
3. Craterolophus convolvulus. Lateral view of mature specimen. Cape Cornwall, Cornwall. 03.09.12.
4. Craterolophus convolvulus. Lateral view of mature specimen. Porth Nanven, Cornwall. 15.09.12.
5. Craterolophus convolvulus. Lateral view of mature specimen. Porth Nanven, Cornwall. 15.09.12.
7. Craterolophus convolvulus. Oral view of mature specimen.
Porth Nanven, Cornwall. 15.09.12.
8. Craterolophus convolvulus. Oral view of mature specimen.
Trevaunance Cove, Cornwall. 16.09.12.
10. Craterolophus convolvulus. Lateral view of mature specimen. Sennen Cove, Cornwall. 19.09.12.
11. Craterolophus convolvulus. Oral view of mature specimen. Sennen Cove, Cornwall. 19.09.12.
12. Craterolophus convolvulus. Oral view of mature specimen. Sennen Cove, Cornwall. 19.09.12.
13. Habitat. Priest's Cove, West Cornwall. Sept. 2012.
14. Habitat. Porth Nanven, St. Just, Cornwall. Sept. 2012.
15. Habitat. Sennen Cove, West Cornwall. Oct. 2012.
16. Habitat. Sennen Cove, West Cornwall. Oct. 2012.
17. Unusually shaped Craterolophus convolvulus discovered by Rob Durrant. Image ©Rob Durrant.
The habitat images above were taken by Carol Tucker, on days when Craterolophus convolvulus was recorded at sites.
Macro images of Craterolophus convolvulus
(Click on image link to view larger 1200 x 800 images)
12m long red specimen
Craterolophus convolvulus lateral view of bell -1
15m long red specimen
Craterolophus convolvulus lateral view of bell -2
Mature brown specimen
Craterolophus convolvulus lateral view of bell -1
Craterolophus convolvulus tentacles -1
Craterolophus convolvulus gonad -1
Craterolophus convolvulus cross-section -1
Juvenile specimen 4mm dia. across oral disc
Craterolophus convolvulus oral view of bell -1
Craterolophus convolvulus oral view of bell -2
Craterolophus convolvulus lateral view of bell -1
Craterolophus convolvulus primary tentacles -1
Macro images above taken using a Canon 5D MkII DSLR camera, MP-E 65mm lens, MT-24EX Twin Flash, a full set of Kenko extension tubes and 1.4x Kenko TelePlus Pro 300 teleconverter. Camera setup.
Juvenile specimen Craterolophus convolvulus -1
Juvenile specimen Craterolophus convolvulus -2
Images of the above specimen were taken in the field at Top Tieb, Mounts Bay using a Pentax WG III digital camera.
More images lower resolution images (640 x 480) of Craterolophus convolvulus can be found in the Photographic Guide on this website.
Records
Scotland
Berwick Bay, East coast of Scotland. Johnston. 1835.
England
ISLE OF WIGHT
Ventnor. pre. 1880. Reported as Lucernaria campanulata, now Calvadosia campanulata, but from description and Fig. 80 illustration the species appears to be Craterolophus convolvulus.
Ref: Hardwicke's Science Gossip. Volume XVI. 1880. p.132.
DEVON
Torbay, South Devon. Dr. Coldstream. May 1833.
Salcombe. North Sands, but not on Zostera beds (P.G.Corbin).
Wembury.
Various sites in the Plymouth area between 1952-74, by P. G. Corbin. Ref: THE SEASONAL ABUNDANCE OF FOUR SPECIES OF STAUROMEDUSAE (COELENTERATA: SCYPHOMEDUSAE) AT PLYMOUTH. J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K. (1979) 59, p. 385-391.
CORNWALL
Only five records exist for Craterolophus convolvulus in Mounts Bay. P. G. Corbin recorded it at Marazion in February 1967, and a specimen was found on a single stipe of Japweed, Sargassum muticum, at Wherry Rocks, Wherry Town, Penzance, on the 1st September 2012. Two juvenile specimens found by David Fenwick on the short north of St. Michael's Mount, on lowershore in front of Marazion Harbour and Top Tieb in March 2014. Also a juvenile Craterlophus convolvulus was found on Zostera marina by Matt Slater on the Eelgrass bed east of St. Michael's Mount Causeway 29.03.14.
In Cornwall records show that Craterolophus convolvulus has been historically found in rockpools on exposed rocky shores, records by Stella Turk; this was confirmed during late summer 2012 when such sites were revisited. The species being recorded from Priest's Cove, Cape Cornwall; Sennen Cove; Nanven, in West Cornwall, and Trevaunance Cove near St. Agnes, Cornwall.
Records of Craterolophus convolvulus held on
the Cornish ERICA database to January 2014
Record of Craterolophus convolvulus from the Isles
of Scilly from the ERICA database to January 2014
Distribution Maps and Links
Maps and links here should only be used as a VERY rough guide. A square in any map may represent one record or hundreds or records. A square can also only be added if there is data to support its placement and it appears there are issues with the sharing of data between local and national databases. Only a certain number of sightings will ever get reported to recording schemes and that in general data will largely be provided from areas closer to human habitation as that's where most recorders live.
Distribution of Craterolophus convolvulus on ERICA
UK Distribution Map (10km) from NBN Gateway
Link to Craterolophus convolvulus on NBN Gateway
Stauromedusae UK - Photographic Guide
- Craterolophus convolvulus images
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The following works were used in compiling and checking information for the Brief Description found on this page -
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom / Volume 40 / Issue 01 / November 1961, pp 292-303.
"Handbook of the Marine Fauna of North-West Europe".
Edited by P.J. Hayward and J.S. Ryland.
