The adult Tima, represented in Fig. 76, is not more than an inch and a
half or two inches in diameter. Instead of countless tubes diverging
from the digestive cavity to the margin of the disk, as in the
Zygodactyla, there are but four. The digestive cavity in the Tima is
much smaller than in the Zygodactyla, and is placed at the end of the
proboscis, which is long, and hangs down far below the disk. This
removal of the digestive cavity to the extremity of the proboscis
gives to the tubes arising from it a very different and much sharper
curve than they have in the Zygodactyla. In the Tima they start from
the end of the proboscis, as may be seen in the wood-cut (Fig. 76),
and then turn abruptly off, when they arrive at the under surface of
the disk, to reach its margin. The disk has, as usual, its veil and
its fringe of tentacles; the tentacles in the full-grown Tima are
few,--seven in all the four intermediate spaces between the tubes,
with one at the base of each tube, making thirty-two in all. The
ovaries, which are milk-white, follow the line of the tubes, as in the
Zygodactyla, and have very undulating folds when full of eggs. The
tubes meet in the digestive cavity, the margin of which spreads out to
form four ruffled edges that hang down from it. One of these ruffles,
considerably magnified, is represented in Fig. 77. In Fig. 78 we have
a portion of the Hydroid stock from which this Jelly-fish arises, also
greatly magnified. The Tima is very active, yet not abrupt in its
motions; but when in good condition it is constantly moving about,
rising to the surface by the regular pulsations of the disk, or
swimming from side to side, or poising itself quietly in the water,
giving now and then a gentle undulation to keep itself in position.
[Illustration: Fig. 78. Magnified head of Hydrarium of Tima.]
Though not a very frequent visitor of our shores, the appearance of
the Tima is not limited by the seasons, since they are found at all
times of the year. It is a fact, unexplained as yet, that the Tima and
many other Jelly-fishes are never seen except when full grown. What
may be the haunts and habits of these animals from the time of their
hatching till they make their appearance again in the adult condition,
is not known, though it is probable that they remain at the bottom
during this period, and only come to the surface to spawn. This
impression is confirmed by the observations made upon a very young
Cyanea which was kept for a long time in confinement; but a question
of this kind cannot of course be settled by a single experiment.[6]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account