Clytia

Galea, Horia R. & Schories, Dirk, 2012, Some hydrozoans (Cnidaria) from Central Chile and the Strait of Magellan, Zootaxa 3296, pp. 19-67 : 62-63

Clytia sp.

(fig. 9K–Q)

? Clytia noliformis — Jäderholm, 1917 (pro parte): 4, pl. 1 fig. 1 [not C. noliformis ( McCrady, 1859) ]. Clytia coronata — Stechow, 1914: 123, fig. 3 [not C. coronata (Clarke, 1879) ].

Clytia hemisphaerica — Leloup, 1974 (pro parte): 14 [not C. hemisphaerica ( Linnaeus, 1767) ]. Clytia noliformis — Leloup, 1974: 16, fig. 13 [not C. noliformis ( McCrady, 1859) ].

Clytia cf. gigantea — Galea et al., 2009: 22 , fig. 5A–E [not C. gigantea ( Hincks, 1866) ].

Material examined. Stn. LYN — 01.xi.2009, DS205 (23 m): numerous hydrothecae, but no gonothecae, on stems of Hybocodon chilensis . Stn. TIB — 01.xi.2009, DS207 (17 m): several hydro- and gonothecae, epizoic on bryozoan. Stn. CHN — 29.xii.2010, S08 (5 m): numerous hydrothecae, but no gonothecae, on green alga. Stn. YBU — 03.v.2008, S04 (15 m): a few hydrothecae, but no gonothecae, on stems of Plumularia setacea ; 01.iv.2009, DS093 (20 m): hydrothecae on stems of unidentified tubulariid; 08.v.2009, DS090 (15 m): a fertile colony on sponge (MHNG-INVE-79650); 01.xii.2009, S23 (20 m): both hydrothecae and gonothecae on Symplectoscyphus filiformis ; S25 (10 m): hydrothecae, but no gonothecae, on S. filiformis . Stn. REL — 18.vii.2010, S05 (10 m): luxuriant colonies on four bivalves, all sterile. Stn. FSI — 08.i.2011, S04 (30 m): simple or branched hydrothecate pedicels, but no gonothecae, on Symplectoscyphus magellanicus .

Description. Stems erect, up to 1.5 cm high, unbranched or sparingly branched, arising from creeping hydrorhiza; annulated at base and distally, either smooth or with irregular patches of annuli in between. Side branches, when present, given off at acute angles from stem; annulated proximally and distally. Hydrotheca tubular, tapering below, margin scalloped below rim; the latter slightly everted, provided with 9–13 cusps. Gonothecae typical of the genus, on stolon or stems; 855–930 µm long, 285–315 µm wide; aperture 225–230 µm wide; four medusa buds.

Remarks. Specimens from Stn. CHN (S08) and Stn. LYN (DS205) are sterile and their dimensions are comparatively smaller (hydrothecae 610–840 µm long and 350–415 µm wide at aperture) than in other Clytia samples, e.g. Stn. REL (S05) (hydrothecae 770–1035 µm long and 420–555 µm wide at aperture); they form exclusively stolonal colonies and are thought to represent young colonies. Their hydrothecal cusps are rather more like equilateral triangles, separated by moderately deep embayments, while in the rest of the material the cusps are more like isosceles triangles, with pointed apical angles separated by rather deep embayments.

The material assigned by Jäderholm (1917) to C. noliformis ( McCrady, 1859) may belong to the present species, on account of its sparingly branched stems and hydrothecal cusps with rounded tips. For the same reasons, Stechow's (1914) specimens from Iquique may belong here, though the size of their hydrothecae is smaller (500– 550 µm long, 210–260 µm wide) and with fewer cusps (8 to 10).

Leloup (1974) included in his concept of C. hemisphaerica ( Linnaeus, 1767) a mix of Linnaeus' species and C. gracilis (M. Sars, 1850) . We consider as conspecific with our material only his specimens possessing rounded hydrothecal cusps and gonothecae with smooth walls. Furthermore, his specimens assigned to C. noliformis ( McCrady, 1859) are identical to our material from Stn. CHN, S08.

In the absence of knowledge of its life cycle, the present material could not be identified to species.

Distribution in Chile. Iquique ( Stechow 1914, as C. coronata ), Gulf of Corcovado ( Leloup 1974, as C. noliformis ). Leloup's records as C. hemisphaerica are unreliable due to his misleading concept of Linnaeus' (1767) species.

World records. Jäderholm's (1917) record from the Falkland Islands is doubtful.