Ctenophora of Australia

An overview of the Ctenophora of Australia is presented based on limited collecting efforts, together with the description of seven species new to science. Euplokamis evansae sp. nov. (Cydippida: Euplokamididae), has only been found in Tasmanian waters; it is distinguished from its congeners in the comb rows being about 4/5 of the body length, the tentacle bulbs being long and close to the stomach, and having extremely long polar plates. Pukia falcata gen. nov., sp. nov. (Cydippida: Pukiidaefam. nov.), is found across the tropical and subtropical north of Australia from Port Hedland, Western Australia, to the Moreton Bay region of southeastern Queensland; it has beehive-coiled tentilla, similar to those of the Euplokamididae, but differs from all other cydippids in having crescentic-shaped tentacle bulbs. Bolinopsis ashleyi sp. nov. (Lobata: Bolinopsidae), from Moreton Bay, differs from its large-lobed congeners in its striking pattern of broad red streaks along the ctene rows. Leucothea filmersankeyi sp. nov. (Lobata: Leucotheidae), from northwestern Tasmania, differs from other species in its genus in having narrow, blind tentacular pits; long slender papillae; and a pale orange tint to the body core. Ocyropsis vance sp. nov. (Lobata: Ocyrop-sidae), from southeastern Tasmania, is distinguished from other ocyropsids with a deeply-indented hourglass-shaped stomach in lacking tentacle bulbs and spots. Finally, three new forms of benthic ctenophores are reported from the Great Barrier Reef: Coeloplana mellosa sp. nov. (Platyctenida: Coeloplanidae) is found on the soft coral Sarcophyton sp., and differs from its congeners in a unique combination of pigmentation pattern, papillae number and distribution, and statocyst palp morphology; Coeloplana reichelti sp. nov., a larger form found on algae and seagrasses, differs from others in the number and form of papillae, colour pattern, and distribution; the last, a minute form found on the Crown-of-thorns starfish, Acanthasterplanci, must await additional material for proper description. The distribution of Neis cordigera is broadened to include South Australia and Western Australia, and a redes-cription of the species is provided. The potential fisheries impacts by a form of Bolinopsis in Spencer Gulf, South Australia, are discussed. An annotated classification and a key for the ctenophores of Australia are given.