I am studying siphonophore tentacle batteries across many species, using different microscopy techniques. I think I might have found the largest nematocysts known for all Cnidaria, as far as my literature search goes, but maybe someone has found something larger. Also, let me know if you heard of any intracellular structure larger than nematocysts.
What do you refer with "large": battery, capsule or tubule? The largest undischarged nematocyst capsule I ever measured is ca. 55 x 9 µm, which is large for a benthic hydroid, but not quite impressive compared with nematocyst capsules found in some Siphonophores [e.g. Purcell (1984) reported heteronemes capsules of ca. 150 µm]
Kitatani et al (2015) reported tubules of several mm in some Carybdeid species. Have you checked it?
Thanks Joan! The ones I've measured are way larger than those, heteronemes >270um capsule length, >1M um3. I don't have discharge tubule length values for them yet, but it would be interesting to record that too.
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