| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2790916 | Zoologischer Anzeiger - A Journal of Comparative Zoology | 2006 | 5 Pages |
Abstract
The chemistry and physical structure of statoliths of young cubozoan medusae (Carybdea sp.) were examined by X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and X-ray powder diffractometry (XRD). These concretions, associated with sensory receptors, were found to consist of bassanite (calcium sulfate hemihydrate), a dense but hygroscopic biomineral. Bassanite occurs in a cluster of radially oriented crystals in a druse, which contains perfect hexagonal crystals. This discovery provides evidence that the Rhopaliophora (Scyphozoa and Cubozoa) originated from an ancestor having statoliths of bassanite.
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Authors
Henry Tiemann, Ilka Sötje, Alexander Becker, Gerhard Jarms, Matthias Epple,