Fig. 78. Four stages in the development of Chrysaora.
(After Claus.)
A. Gastrula stage.
B. Stage after closure of blastopore.
C. Fixed larva with commencing stomodæum.
D. Fixed larva with mouth, short tentacles, etc.
ep. epiblast; hy. hypoblast; st. stomodæum; m. mouth; bl. blastopore.
With the above changes the so-called Hydra tuba or Scyphistoma form is reached (vide [fig. 85]). The peculiar strobilization of this form is dealt with in the section devoted to the metamorphosis.
Aurelia is stated by Kowalevsky to develop in the same way as Cassiopea; and the one stage of Rhizostoma observed is that in which it has a (probably invaginate) gastrula form.
In Pelagia the ovum directly gives rise to a form like the parent. The segmentation and the invagination take place nearly as in Cassiopea, but the archenteric cavity is relatively much smaller, and the large space between it and the epiblast becomes filled with the gelatinous tissue which forms the umbrella. The blastopore does not appear to close but to become directly converted into the mouth. As in Cassiopea the larva takes a somewhat four-sided pyramidal form. The mouth is placed at the base. The pyramid becomes subsequently flatter, and at the four corners four tentacles grow out which increase to eight by division. The flattening continues till the larva reaches a form hardly to be distinguished from the Ephyra resulting from the strobilization of the fixed Scyphistoma form of other Acraspeda.
Alcyonidæ. In the Alcyonidæ the segmentation appears always to lead to the formation of a solid morula, which becomes a planula by delamination. The true enteric cavity is formed by an absorption of the central cells, but the axial portion of the gastric cavity and mouth are formed by an epiblastic invagination.
The development of these types has been mainly studied by Kowalevsky ([147]), and my knowledge of his results is derived from German abstracts of the original Russian memoirs.
In Alcyonium palmatum the impregnation is external. The segmentation is very exceptional in character. It commences with the formation of a series of irregular prominences on the surface of the ovum, which become segmented off to form a superficial layer of epiblast cells. The inner mass of protoplasm then divides up into polygonal cells to form the hypoblast, which would thus seem to be formed by a kind of delamination. In Clavularia crassa (No. [168]) there is a complete segmentation followed by a delamination. The larva of Al. palmatum elongates and becomes ciliated, and so assumes the characters of a typical planula. The central hypoblast is formed of an outer granular stratum with imperfectly differentiated cells—the true hypoblast—and an inner homogeneous mass with vacuoles.