Copula sivickisi
©Anne Hoggett: A female Copula sivickisi attracted to light at night, Second Beach, Lizard Island, 27 Nov 2014, 7 mm bell diameter. Thanks to Dr Jodie Schlaefer for the id.
©Anne Hoggett: A female Copula sivickisi attracted to light at night, Second Beach, Lizard Island, 27 Nov 2014, 7 mm bell diameter. Photo taken from underneath, tentacles are withdrawn into bell. Thanks to Dr Jodie Schlaefer for the id.
©Anne Hoggett: A female Copula sivickisi attracted to light at night, Second Beach, Lizard Island, 27 Nov 2014, 7 mm bell diameter. Thanks to Dr Jodie Schlaefer for the id.
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Cnidaria
Class
Cubozoa
Order
Carybdeida
Family
Tripedaliidae
Genus
Copula
Species
Copula sivickisi
Distinguishing features
A small box jellyfish with sticky pads on top of the bell that are used to attach the medusa to hard surfaces (Jodie Schlaefer, pers. comm.). Sexes are separate, fertilisation is internal and involves proper mating (Garm et al, 2015).
Size
- Up to 0.5 cm (bell diameter)
Synonyms
Distribution
©Atlas of Living Australia: Australian distribution
Web resources
References
References that assist with identification
- Bentlage, B. and C. Lewis (2012). An illustrated key and synopsis of the families and genera of carybdeid box jellyfishes (Cnidaria: Cubozoa: Carybdeida), with emphasis on the "Irukandji family" (Carukiidae), Journal of Natural History, 46: 2595-2620. LIRS catalog number 90189.
Other references
- Garm, A., M. Lebouvier and D. Tolunay (2015). Mating in the box jellyfish Copula sivickisi - novel function of cnidocytes, Journal of Morphology, 276: 1055-1064, . LIRS catalog number 90410.
- Kingsford, M.J., J.E. Seymour and M.D. O’Callaghan (2012). Abundance patterns of cubozoans on and near the Great Barrier Reef, Hydrobiologia, 590: 257-268. LIRS catalog number 10073.