Thirty one different species of Capitata hydromedusae have been found in the waters surrounding Laing Island, Papua New Guinea. Ten new species are described: Cladosarsia capitata, Cnidocodon leopoldi, Dicnida rigida, Euphysora gemmifera, Euphysora pseudoabaxialis, Euphysora verrucosa, Moerisia carine, Teissiera australe, Teissiera medusifera, Zancleopsis elegans. Two new genera, Cnidocodon and Dicnida, and two new families, the Teissieridae and the Zancleopsidae, have been erected. Diagrammatic representations are given of the main evolutionary trends which may exist between some Capitata medusae, as well as between various Corynoidea polyps. |
