Turritopsis

Galea, Horia R., Försterra, Günter & Häussermann, Verena, 2007, Additions to the hydroids (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa) from the fjords region of southern Chile, Zootaxa 1650, pp. 55-68 : 57

? Turritopsis sp.

(fig. 2A, B)

Material examined. Stn. LEN – 5.iii.2007, Lenca, Punta Chaicas, 41°38.293’ S, 72°40.135’ W, 12 m: small, sterile, stolonal colony, epizoic on sponge and basal part of stems of Obelia dichotoma ( Linnaeus, 1758) .

Description. Colonies minute, stolonal, comprising several hydranths without gonophores. Perisarc thin, transparent, occasionally slightly wrinkled, terminating below hydranth base. Hydranths spindle-shaped, hypostome rounded-conical, elongate; 14–18 filiform tentacles scattered over distal 2/3 of body, proximal ones shorter than distal.

Cnidome: desmonemes 5.1–5.5 × 3.1–3.3 µm, microbasic euryteles 6.4–6.8 × 2.7–2.8 µm (both undischarged, from fixed material).

Remarks. Though sterile, this material is thought to be referable to the genus Turritopsis McCrady, 1857 . Specific identification is impossible in the absence of gonophores.

Records from Chile. The present material originates from near Lenca.