The Diphyidae are a family of siphonophores. These are colonial siphonophores with two nectophores (swimming bells) arranged one behind the other. The front one includes a somatocyst (extension of the gastrovascular system), while the hind one does not. The somatocyst often contains an oil droplet for buoyancy control. A nectosac (central cavity with muscular walls) in each nectophore allows the organism to swim efficiently.
Systematics
The World Register of Marine Species includes the following taxa in the family Diphyidae:
- Subfamily Diphyinae <small>Quoy & Gaimard, 1827</small>
- Genus Chelophyes <small>Totton, 1932</small>
- Chelophyes appendiculata <small>(Eschscholtz, 1829)</small>
- Chelophyes contorta <small>(Lens & van Riemsdijk, 1908)</small>
- Genus Dimophyes<small> Moser, 1925</small>
- Dimophyes arctica <small>(Chun, 1897)</small>
- Genus Diphyes<small> Cuvier, 1817</small>
- Diphyes antarctica <small>Moser, 1925</small>
- Diphyes bojani <small>(Eschscholtz, 1825)</small>
- Diphyes chamissonis <small>Huxley, 1859</small>
- Diphyes dispar <small>Chamisso & Eysenhardt, 1821</small>
- Genus Eudoxoides <small>Huxley, 1859</small>
- Eudoxoides mitra <small>(Huxley, 1859)</small>
- Eudoxoides spiralis <small>(Bigelow, 1911)</small>
- Genus Lensia <small>Totton, 1932</small>
- Lensia achilles <small>Totton, 1941</small>
- Lensia ajax <small>Totton, 1941</small>
- Lensia asymmetrica <small>Stepanjants, 1970</small>
- Lensia campanella <small>(Moser, 1917)</small>
- Lensia challengeri <small>Totton, 1954</small>
- Lensia conoidea <small>(Keferstein & Ehlers, 1860)</small>
- Lensia cordata <small>Totton, 1965</small>
- Lensia cossack <small>Totton, 1941</small>
- Lensia exeter <small>Totton, 1941</small>
- Lensia fowleri <small>(Bigelow, 1911)</small>
- Lensia gnanamuthui <small>Daniel & Daniel, 1963</small>
- Lensia grimaldii <small>Leloup, 1933</small>
- Lensia hardy <small>Totton, 1941</small>
- Lensia havock <small>Totton, 1941</small>
- Lensia hostile <small>Totton, 1941</small>
- Lensia hotspur <small>Totton, 1941</small>
- Lensia hunter <small>Totton, 1941</small>
- Lensia leloupi <small>Totton, 1954</small>
- Lensia lelouveteau <small>Totton, 1941</small>
- Lensia meteori <small>(Leloup, 1934)</small>
- Lensia multicristata <small>(Moser, 1925)</small>
- Lensia panikkari <small>Daniel, 1971</small>
- Lensia quadriculata <small>Pages, Flood & Youngbluth, 2006</small>
- Lensia subtilis <small>(Chun, 1886)</small>
- Lensia subtiloides <small>(Lens & van Riemsdijk, 1908)</small>
- Lensia zenkevitchi <small>Margulis, 1970</small>
- Genus Muggiaea <small>Busch, 1851</small>
- Muggiaea atlantica <small>Cunningham, 1892</small>
- Muggiaea bargmannae <small>Totton, 1954</small>
- Muggiaea delsmani <small>Totton, 1954</small>
- Muggiaea kochii <small>(Will, 1844)</small>
- Subfamily Giliinae <small>Pugh & Pages, 1995</small>
- Genus Gilia <small>Pugh & Pages, 1995</small>
- Gilia reticulata <small>(Totton, 1954)</small>
- Subfamily Sulculeolariinae <small>Totton, 1954</small>
- Genus Sulculeolaria <small>Blainville, 1830</small>
- Sulculeolaria biloba <small>(Sars, 1846)</small>
- Sulculeolaria chuni <small>(Lens & van Riemsdijk, 1908)</small>
- Sulculeolaria monoica <small>(Chun, 1888)</small>
- Sulculeolaria quadrivalvis <small>de Blainville, 1830</small>
- Sulculeolaria turgida <small>(Gegenbaur, 1854)</small>
References