Acryptolaria conferta (Allman 1877) Allman 1877
- Dataset
- The non-Siphonophoran Hydrozoa (Cnidaria) of Salento, Italy with notes on their life-cycles: an illustrated guide
- Rank
- SPECIES
Classification
- kingdom
- Animalia
- phylum
- Cnidaria
- class
- Hydrozoa
- order
- Leptothecata
- family
- Lafoeidae
- genus
- Acryptolaria
- species
- Acryptolaria conferta
discussion
Remarks. The great variability of Acryptolaria conferta induced Ramil & Vervoort (1992) to propose the subspecies minor based in its small size and the lack of intermediate specimens linking it to larger specimens. Peña-Cantero et al. (2007) argued that this taxon has no clearly distinguishing features.
distribution
Distribution. Cosmopolitan (Ramil & Vervoort 1992; Medel & López-González 1996; Schuchert 2001 a; Bouillon et al. 2004). Records in Salento. In deep water, on white corals at S. Maria di Leuca (Mastrototaro et al. 2010).
materials_examined
Material examined. HCUS-S 0 86 (Hydrozoa Collection, University of Salento — fauna of the Salento Peninsula). Description (based on our own observations; Ramil & Vervoort 1992 as Acryptolaria conferta conferta; Schuchert 2001 a): Hydroid. Hydrorhiza reptant, as a thick mass of stolons; colonies erect; hydrocauli polysiphonic basally, up to 4 cm in height, branched, axis and most part of branches and hydrocladia composed of numerous tubes longitudinally arranged and anastomosed with each other, monosiphonic parts with a sympodial structure, axis straight to geniculate; hydrothecae lateral, in the same plane and alternate, tubular, basal part merging into hydrocladia, distal part free and curved outwards, rim even and circular, hydrothecal renovations frequent. Gonothecae amphora-shaped, in coppiniae with several gonothecae, acrocyst present in female gonothecae. Cnidome. Microbasic mastigophores. Habitat type. Deep water species, recorded at depths ranging between 125 – 1400 m (Schuchert 2001 a). Substrate. Shell, coral fragments, worm tubes, on hydroid Polyplumaria flabellata, and white corals. Seasonality. April, June, September (Bouillon et al. 2004; Moura 2011) in the western Mediterranean Sea; February, September (Mastrototaro et al. 2010). Reproductive period. Unknown in Salento; June in and around the Strait of Gibraltar (Ramil & Vervoort 1992)