The non-Siphonophoran Hydrozoa (Cnidaria) of Salento, Italy with notes on their life-cycles: an illustrated guide Gravili, Cinzia Vito, Doris De Camillo, Cristina Gioia Di Martell, Luis Piraino, Stefano Boero, Ferdinando Zootaxa 2015 3908 1 1 187 3BZKT Linneaus, 1758 Linneaus 1758 [151,640,1698,1724] Hydrozoa Eudendriidae Eudendrium Animalia Anthoathecata 33 34 Cnidaria species ramosum   Material examined.HCUS-S 0 27 (Hydrozoa Collection, University of Salento—fauna of the Salento Peninsula). Description(based on our own observations; Marques et al.2000a; Schuchert 2008b, 2012):  Hydroid.Colonies erect, up to 175 mm; hydrocauli basally polysiphonic, sometimes slender and flexuous with roughly alternate hydrocladia, sometimes stiff and bushy, branching irregularly, with smooth perisarc, annulated above origin of hydrocladia and also elsewhere; hydrocladia monosiphonic; hydranths on basally ringed pedicel; hypostome flared; with 14–30 filiform tentacles. Gonophores as fixed sporosacs, borne on hydranths with atrophied tentacles to a varying degree, females up to seven per gonozooid, with unbranched spadix, encapsulated embryos attached along pedicel; males up to five per hydranth, with 1–2 chambers. Colours: female gonophores orange-red; male ones with red spadix. Colour: hydranths reddish.   FIGURE 22.  Eudendrium ramosum: A, general view of a colony; B, male gonozooid; C, female gonozooid; D, microbasic eurytele (B, C same scale bar) (A drawn by C.G. Di Camillo; B–D drawn by F. Boero). Scale bars: A, 2.0 cm; B, C, 0.2 mm; D, 10 µm.  Cnidome.Large heterotrichous microbasic euryteles (22.2–28.0x8.7–13.3 µm) on hypostome, lower part of hydranth, and on hydrocaulus; shaft thin, about 2/3 to 3/4 length of capsule, increasing in diameter distally but not coiled when undischarged; small heterotrichous microbasic euryteles on tentacles and ectoderm (5.8x2.7 to 8.4x4.2 mm).  Habitat type.The colonies grow on several solid substrata, such as hard bottom biogenic banks and coralligenous ledges ( Rossi 1961; Boero 1981a, b, 1983; Marinopoulos 1981; Boero & Fresi 1986; Roca et al.1991; Morri & Bianchi 1999; Morri et al.1999; Piraino et al.1999; Faucci & Boero 2000; Puce et al.2009). Along the European coasts occurring usually from shallow depths to about 80 m( Peña Cantero & García Carrascosa 2002).  Substrate.Rock, concretions, algae,  Posidoniarhizomes,  Cymodocea nodosameadow, hydroids, barnacles, sponges (  Irciniasp.).  Seasonality.In the Ligurian Sea ( Boero & Fresi 1986; Puce et al.2009), and in Salento waters (De Vito 2006; this study) colonies occur all year.  Reproductive period.In the western Mediterranean Sea from July to February ( Boero & Fresi 1986), September ( Marques et al.2000a; Puce et al.2009), July, August ( Peña Cantero & García Carrascosa 2002); in Salento waters from March to June (De Vito 2006; this study).   Distribution.Cosmopolitan ( Boero & Cornelius 1987; Morri et al.1991; Marinopoulos 1992; Medel & López-González 1996; Marques et al.2000a, b; Schuchert 2001a, 2008b; Peña Cantero & García Carrascosa 2002; Vervoort 2006; Gravili et al.2008a).  Records in Salento.Moderately frequent in the following localities: La Rotonda ( Presicce 1991); Porto Cesareo ( Faucci & Boero 2000); Otranto (De Vito 2006; Gravili 2006; Gravili et al.2008a; Piraino et al.2013; this study).   Remarks.The colonies are stout in shallow water and more slender in deeper waters ( Boero & Fresi 1986). Schuchert (2008b)synonymized  E. elsaeoswaldae Stechow, 1921with  E. ramosum(Linnaeus, 1758).   References. Rossi (1961, 1971), Millard & Bouillon (1973, 1974), Millard (1975), Boero (1981b), Boero & Fresi (1986), Boero & Cornelius (1987), Marinopoulos (1990, 1992), Morri et al.(1991), Riedl (1991), Roca et al. (1991), Ramil & Vervoort (1992), Medel & López-González (1996), Faucci & Boero (2000), Marques et al.(2000a, b), Schuchert (2001a, 2008b, 2012), Peña Cantero & García Carrascosa (2002), Bouillon et al.(2004), De Vito (2006), Vervoort (2006), Gravili (2006), Gravili et al.(2008a), Puce et al. (2009), Bianchi et al. (2011), Piraino et al.(2013).