Obelia longissima (Pallas, 1766)

OLIVEIRA, OTTO M. P., MIRANDA, THAÍS P., ARAUJO, ENILMA M., AYÓN, PATRICIA, CEDEÑO-POSSO, CRISTINA M., CEPEDA-MERCADO, AMANCAY A., CÓRDOVA, PABLO, CUNHA, AMANDA F., GENZANO, GABRIEL N., HADDAD, MARIA ANGÉLICA, MIANZAN, HERMES W., MIGOTTO, ALVARO E., MIRANDA, LUCÍLIA S., MORANDINI, ANDRÉ C., NAGATA, RENATO M., NASCIMENTO, KARINE B., JÚNIOR, MIODELI NOGUEIRA, PALMA, SERGIO, QUIÑONES, JAVIER, RODRIGUEZ, CAROLINA S., SCARABINO, FABRIZIO, SCHIARITI, AGUSTÍN, STAMPAR, SÉRGIO N., TRONOLONE, VALQUÍRIA B. & MARQUES, ANTONIO C., 2016, Census of Cnidaria (Medusozoa) and Ctenophora from South American marine waters, Zootaxa 4194 (1), pp. 1-256 : 171

Obelia longissima (Pallas, 1766)

Synonyms in the area: Obelia articulata —Fraser 1938a; Calder et al. 2003 [polyp]; Laomedea (Obelia) longissima Vervoort, 1972 [polyp]; Laomedea longissima —Leloup 1974 [polyp]; Obelia gracilis —Milstein 1976 [polyp]; Obelia dichotoma —Zamponi 1987 [polyp] [non Obelia dichotoma (Linnaeus, 1758) ].

Remarks: Cornelius (1975) synonymized Obelia longissima with O. dichotoma but later on, Cornelius (1995) considered both species as valid. Östman (1982, 1999) demonstrated that O. dichotoma and O. longissima have differences in the cnidome, and both may be considered as valid species. However, considering that some geographical records in the literature of these species are still confusing, further studies are necessary in order to confirm their validity or adopt any synonymy (see also O. dichotoma above). Genzano et al. (2009a) considered the record of Obelia dichotoma by Zamponi (1987) a misidentification that should be assigned to O. longissima .

Distribution in South America: polyp—Pacific Ocean, Colombia, at 6.78°N 77.60°W in Octavia Bay, Ecuador, from 0.3°S to 1.5°S in Galápagos Archipelago, Chile, from 41.16°S to 53.38°S (Hartlaub 1905 p. 582–583; Fraser 1938a, 1948; Vervoort 1972 p. 93–95; Leloup 1974 p. 21; Calder et al. 2003; Galea & Schories 2012a p. 63); Atlantic Ocean, Uruguay to Argentina, from 34.6°S to 55°S (Jäderholm 1910, 1917; Blanco 1964, 1967b, 1994a; Vervoort 1972; Milstein 1976; Zamponi 1987; El Beshbeeshy 1991, 2011; Genzano 1994a, 2002; Genzano & Zamponi 1997, 2003; Genzano & Rodriguez 1998; Zamponi et al. 1998; Genzano et al. 2002, 2008b, 2009a);

medusa—Atlantic Ocean, Argentina, at 39.66ºS 61.38ºW, at 39.66ºS 61.85ºW, at 40.01ºS 61.00ºW, and along Buenos Aires coast (Genzano et al. 2008a, 2008b).

Habitat: polyp—from 3 to 300m depth, on ship hulls, shells, hydroids, rocks and dead gorgonians (Jäderholm 1910; Fraser 1938a; Vervoort 1972 p. 93–95; Leloup 1974 p. 21; El Beshbeeshy 1991, 2011; Genzano & Rodriguez 1998; Genzano et al. 2002; Calder et al. 2003; Galea & Schories 2012a p. 63).