As was pointed out by Claus, the bottom of the sensory niche--by bottom
is meant the vertical wall that separates the space of the niche from
the bell cavity--is formed from the subumbrella only. This arrangement
of parts, apparently impossible for a structure so far removed from
the bell margin as the sensory niche, will be explained more fully
under the special topic of the vascular lamellæ, or cathammal plates.
It is sufficient at this point to refer to Fig. 44, which shows the
shield-shaped area mapped out by a vascular lamella that connects the
endoderm of the stomach pocket with the ectoderm of the bottom of the
niche. By this the exumbrella is completely cut off from any part in the
formation of the bottom of the niche. Cross and vertical sections through
the niche (Figs. 39 and 37) help to a better understanding of these
relations. Since the base of the stalk of the sensory niche lies within
the ring of vascular lamella, the whole organ as well as the bottom of
the niche belongs to the subumbrella, and so in spite of its position
some distance upwards from the bell margin the sensory club is very
properly called a “marginal body” (Randkörper).
The epithelium of the sensory niche consists entirely of the
flattened ectodermal surface layer common to the whole exumbrella. No
differentiation suggestive of nervous function in addition to that of the
sensory clubs can be discovered, although it would be quite natural to
expect to find something of the sort, as intimated by Claus (’78, p. 27).
It is worth while to mention again the fact that the eyes are directed
inwardly toward the cavity of the bell. The larger and lower of the two
median eyes looks into the bell cavity horizontally; the smaller upper
eye is turned upward toward the region of the proboscis. This is in the
normal pendant position of the sensory club. The stalk, however, is
very flexible, and a range of other positions of the sense organs is
possible, although nothing was observed to suggest that such positions
were within the control of the animal. The eyes evidently have as their
chief function to receive impressions of what is going on _inside_ the
bell, not outside. Perhaps the strongly biconvex, almost spherical lenses
of the median eyes also point to a focus on near and small objects.
5. _The Bell Cavity and its Structures._ In general, the bell cavity
repeats the external form of the bell, being almost cubical. In
cross-section it appears very nearly square with the angles in the
interradii as seen in the series of drawings that figure sections of the
whole jelly-fish at different levels (Figs. 6-16). Above, the bell cavity
is roofed over by the stomach; below, it is open freely to the water,
the opening being narrowed somewhat by the diaphragm-like velarium (Fig.
3, _v_); the four flat perradial sides are bounded by the walls of the
four broad stomach pockets, to be described when we come to the internal
anatomy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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