Thalassocalyce inconstans

Thalassocalyce is a genus of ctenophore, or comb jellies, known from the California Coast, Gulf of Mexico, and west north Atlantic. It is represented by a single species, Thalassocalyce inconstans, which is the only species in the family Thalassocalycidae and the order Thalassocalycida.Madin, L. P., and G. R. Harbison. "Thalassocalyce inconstans, new genus and species, an enigmatic ctenophore representing a new family and order." Bulletin of Marine Science 28.4 (1978): 680-687. T. inconstans is a pelagic ctenophore typically occurring in upper-mesopelagic depths, but has been observed at depths up to 3,500 m in Monterey Canyon.Swift, H. F., Hamner, W. M., Robison, B. H., & Madin, L. P. (2009). Feeding behavior of the ctenophore Thalassocalyce inconstans: revision of anatomy of the order Thalassocalycida. Marine biology, 156(5), 1049-1056. Due to their fragility, gelatinous zooplankton are inherently difficult to sample by traditional methods (i.e. net tows),Harbison, G. R., Madin, L. P., & Swanberg, N. R. (1978). On the natural history and distribution of oceanic ctenophores. Deep-Sea Research, 25(3), 233-256. and among ctenophorans Thalassocalyce inconstans is especially fragile having thin, flaccid tissues, likely contributing to broad under-sampling. The individual collection of undamaged specimens via scuba and novel instrumentation (e.g. Remotely Operated Vehicles, submersibles, and imaging systems) has allowed for more robust investigation of T. inconstans.Luo, Jessica Y., Benjamin Grassian, Dorothy Tang, Jean-Olivier Irisson, Adam T. Greer, Cedric M. Guigand, Sam McClatchie, and Robert K. Cowen. (2014) Environmental drivers of the fine-scale distribution of a gelatinous zooplankton community across a mesoscale front. Marine Ecology Progress Series 510: 129-149.

No narrative description available for this taxon yet.