A mesopelagic ctenophore representing a new family, with notes on family-level taxonomy in Ctenophora: Vampyroctena delmarvensis gen. nov. sp. nov. (Vampyroctenidae, fam. nov.)

The stunning diversity of midwater ctenophores is well-known to veterans of oceanographic cruises and ROV operations, but many species lack formal descriptions, leading to taxonomic confusion and a systematic underestimation of the biodiversity of the mesopelagic zone. Here, we present a description of a novel genus and species of one such ctenophore, Vampyroctena delmarvensis gen. nov. sp. nov. This cydippid ctenophore, the sole described...