Morphology data of Staurotheca undosiparietina
Identification keys
Main Ref. Peña Cantero, A.L. and W. Vervoort, 2003
Appearance refers to

Sex attributes

specialized organs
different appearance
different colors
remarks

Descriptive characteristics of juvenile and adult

Striking features
Body shape lateral
Cross section
Dorsal head profile
Type of eyes
Type of mouth/snout
Position of mouth
Diagnosis Stems up to 32 cm high, polysiphonic over a great extension. Main stem distinct, deprived of branches basally. When branching becomes frequent, main stem becoming indistinct. Branching scarce, irregular and in several planes. Hydrothecae present over entire colony, though inconspicuous in polysiphonic parts. Hydrothecae arranged in verticils of three to five hydrothecae forming 6 to 10 longitudinal rows. Hydrothecae immersed into the branches for approximately half of their volume and adnate for almost full adcauline length; free adcauline wall inconspicuous. In lateral view hydrotheca cylindrical and slightly abcaudally directed; abcauline wall slightly concave. In frontal view maximum diameter at hydrothecal base, slightly decreasing upwards. Hydrothecal aperture circular and tilted downwards, forming an acute angle with long axis of stem; rim even and sometimes with renovations. Hydrothecal diaphragm mushroom-shaped, though sometimes abcauline projections absent. Male and female gonothecae present, both originating at the hydrothecal base. Female gonotheca oval, provided with a distal, laterally depressed aperture due to the presence of one adcauline cusp and one, better developed, abcauline cusp. Male gonotheca fusiform, with a small, circular aperture at the end of an inconspicuous neck. Both male and female gonothecae with abcauline keel.
Ease of Identification likely to be confused with closely related species.

Meristic characteristics of Staurotheca undosiparietina

Lateral Lines Interrupted: No
Scales on lateral line
Pored lateral line scales
Scales in lateral series
Scale rows above lateral line
Scale rows below lateral line
Scales around caudal peduncle
Barbels
Gill clefts (sharks/rays only)
Gill rakers
on lower limb
on upper limb
total
Vertebrae
preanal
total

Fins

Dorsal fin(s)

Attributes
Fins number
Finlets No. Dorsal   
Ventral  
Spines total
Soft-rays total
Adipose fin

Caudal fin

Attributes

Anal fin(s)

Fins number
Spines total
Soft-rays total

Paired fins

Pectoral Attributes  
spines     
soft-rays   
Pelvics Attributes  
Position    
spines     
soft-rays   
Main Ref. (e.g. 9948)
Glossary (e.g. cnidaria)
Comments & Corrections
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