Diagnosis of the genus Pelagia Péron & Lesueur 1809
Pelagiidae with exumbrella covered by conspicuous cnidocyst warts; eight marginal tentacles alternating with eight
marginal sense-organs located on shallow sensory pits; 16 marginal lappets; 16 unbranched, simple radial septa
terminating between sense organs and tentacles, dividing the gastrovascular sinus into 8 tentacular and 8 rhopalial
separate pouches that do not communicate with neighbouring pouches at the umbrella margin. Direct life cycle
without polyp stage.