Inside the mouths of beroid ctenophores, macrocilia are present and essential for feeding. Each macrocillium contains multiple axonemes that are surrounded by a common membrane with a distinct capping structure at the distal tip. The cap structure consists of extensions of axonemal microtubules that are embedded in an electron dense matrix to form pointed projections or "teeth". During the beat cycle of macrocilia, these teeth shift from a straight to hooked configuration which is thought to aid ingestion and break up prey. These macrocilia are diverse amongst Beroe families and can be used to identify ctenophores by way of morphological differences.[2]
According to the World Register of Marine Species, the following species are members of this genus:[1]
Oliveira, Otto M.P.; Migotto, Alvaro E. (2014). "First occurrence of Beroe forskalii (Ctenophora) in South American Atlantic coastal waters, with notes on the use of macrociliary patterns for beroid identification". Zootaxa. 3779 (4): 470–6. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3779.4.5. PMID24871741.
Oliveira, Otto M. P.; Feliú, Guillermo; Palma, Sergio (2014). "Beroe gracilis (Ctenophora) from the Humboldt Current System: first occurrence of this species in the southern hemisphere". Zootaxa. 3827 (3): 397–400. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3827.3.10. PMID25081170.
