Clytia linearis (Thornely, 1900)

Estrada-González, Mariae C., Agüero, José & Mendoza-Becerril, María A., 2023, Medusozoans from the Mexican Pacific: a review based on historical literature and recent observations, Journal of Natural History 57 (1), pp. 784-853 : 833-834

Clytia linearis (Thornely, 1900)

( Figure 8C, D )

Material examined

1 colony, polyp, without gonophores; Punta Diablo, La Paz Bay , Baja California Sur, 24°18′ 57.5′′N, 110°20′23.8′′W; depth 0–1 m; 7 May 2017; on crustose coralline algae, the octocoral Leptogorgia , and rock; ECO-CH-Z 11749 . – Several colonies, polyp, without gonophores; Punta Los Muertos, Baja California Sur, 24°14′52′′N, 110°08′59′′W; depth 1– 2 m; 20 July 2018; on the algae Padina sp ., Laurencia sp. , and Chondracanthus and Bryozoa; ECO-CH-Z 11769 . – Several colonies, polyp, with gonophores; El Mogote Sand Bar, La Paz Bay , Baja California Sur, 24°09′31′′N, 110°20′26′′W; depth 0–2 m; 1 July 2019; on undetermined algae, ascidian, barnacles, Bryozoa, and the hydrocaulus of Macrorhynchia philippina ; ECO-CH-Z 11794 . – 3 colonies, polyp, without gonophores; Agua de Yepiz, La Paz Bay , Baja California Sur, 24°17′15.5′′N, 110°37′49.6′′W; depth 0–1 m; 24 June 2018; on undetermined algae, Bryozoa, and octocoral; ECO-CH-Z 11785 .

Identification (after Calder 1991)

Colonies mostly erect but occasionally stolonal; hydrocaulus sympodial when present, monosiphonic, divided into annulated basal internodes, each supporting a hydrothecal pedicel distally. All internodes except terminal ones with a short apophysis given off adjacent to the base of hydrothecal pedicel. Hydrothecal pedicels annulated basally and distally and smooth in the middle. Hydrothecae deeply campanulate, hydrothecal diaphragm straight, margin with about 11–14 sharp, deeply cut cusps, separated by Ushaped incisions, with V-shaped pleats extending inwards to hydrothecal cavity from each cusp. Gonotheca arising from the axil between hydrocaulus and pedicel. Wavy walls and constricted below margin. Gonothecal pedicels annulated throughout.

Distribution

Previously recorded on the west coast of the Gulf of California ( Mendoza-Becerril et al. 2020) and for the rest of the gulf in Sinaloa ( Álvarez-León and Wedler 1982). In the MP, it has been recorded from Baja California Sur ( Calder 1996), Colima ( Fraser 1948), Jalisco ( Fraser 1938c), and Oaxaca ( Humara-Gil and Cruz-Gómez 2018).

Figures

Figure 8. A, Clytia cf. gracilis (M. Sars, 1850): hydrotheca. B, Clytia hemisphaerica (Linnaeus, 1767): hydrotheca. (C, D) Clytia linearis (Thornely, 1900): C, colony; D, hydrotheca. (E–G) Obelia dichotoma (Linnaeus, 1758): B, hydrothecae; C, colony; D, gonothecae from apophysis; E, gonothecae from hydrorhiza. Scale bars: A, B, D = 250 μm; C = 1 cm; F, G = 200 μm; E = 500 μm. Drawings made by Nicholas Bezio.