Aglaophenia meganema Fraser, 1937b

Calder, Dale R. & Choong, Henry H. C., 2018, Names of hydroids (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa) established by Charles McLean Fraser (1872 - 1946), excluding those from Allan Hancock Expeditions, Zootaxa 4487 (1), pp. 1-83 : 59

Aglaophenia meganema Fraser, 1937b

Aglaophenia meganema Fraser, 1937b: 4 , pl. 1, figs. 6a, b.

Holotype. USNM 43290 : Puerto Rico, northeast coast near Las Cucarachas light, Johnson-Smithsonian Deep-Sea Expedition Sta. 69, 18°24’30”N, 65°38’30”W, 9 fm (16 m), 24 February 1933, R/ V Caroline, one colony with several plumes on an alga, ca. 2 cm high, in quite good condition, without gonophores, coll . Paul Bartsch, labelled “ type ” and “ holotype ”; ethanol.

Paratype. BCPM 976-00790-001: Puerto Rico, north coast, Johnson Hydro Sta. 69, 24 February 1933, on algae, several colonies, in relatively poor condition, without corbulae, labelled “cotype”; 60% IPA.

Type locality. Puerto Rico: 18°24’30”N, 65°38’30”W, 9 fm (16 m) ( Bartsch 1933, Sta. 69; Fraser 1937b).

Current status. Valid.

Remarks. Fraser (1937b) described Aglaophenia meganema based on material collected during the Johnson- Smithsonian Deep-Sea Expedition to Puerto Rico and vicinity. No gonosome was observed. The holotype designated by Fraser is currently recorded as a syntype at the NMNH (USNM 43290), although the specimen count is given as one. We found a single colony with several plumes in the collection, constituting the holotype. Material of the species at the RBCM (BCPM 976-00790-001), labelled “co-type”, is a paratype.

Bogle (1975) regarded A. meganema as a probable synonym of Macrorhynchia grandis ( Clarke, 1879) . It is currently listed as valid in WoRMS, and we adopt that conclusion. While no corbulae were present on the holotype, its morphology corresponds well with diagnoses of the genus Aglaophenia Lamouroux, 1812 .