Genus Acryptolaria Norman, 1875

Acryptolaria Norman, 1875: 172, pl. 12 figs 1, 2.

Scapus Norman, 1875: 173, pl. 12 figs 1, 3 (type species: Scapus tubulifer Norman, 1875).

Oswaldaria Stechow, 1921: 30 (type species: Cryptolaria crassicaulis Allman, 1888).

TYPE SPECIES. — Acryptolaria andersoni Totton, 1930 .

DIAGNOSIS. — Lafoeidae with adult colonies consisting of branched, polysiphonic, erect stems with a main, hydrothecate central axial tube and a series of accompanying accessory tubes. Branches also polysiphonic, originating from secondary tubes. Polysiphony decreasing distally, but almost reaching distal end. Hydrothecae only present on main axis of stem and branches. Hydrothecae alternately arranged, forming two longitudinal rows (with the exception of A. tetraseriata n. sp.), usually in one plane. Hydrotheca tubiform, partially adnate to branch; without diaphragm. Nematothecae absent. Gonothecae aggregated to form a coppinia, with or without defensive tubes. Gonophores fixed sporosacs. Cnidome consisting of two categories of nematocysts: large putative macrobasic mastigophores and small putative microbasic mastigophores.

REMARKS

For a wider discussion on the genus see Peña Cantero et al. (2007). These authors completely redescribed the type specimens of the known species, with the exception of A. andersoni and A. rectangularis (Jarvis, 1922), for which no type material could be located; it is probably lost. According to Peña Cantero et al. (2007) the genus after their revision included 16 valid species. However, A. andersoni, type species of the genus, and A. rectangularis are insufficiently known, although the coppinia of the former, that was mistakenly described as a new species of hydroid ( Scapus tubulifer Norman, 1875), is known.

SPECIES INCLUDED

A list of species originally referred to Acryptolaria is given by Peña Cantero et al. (2007); they also list the species that actually belong to other genera of Lafoeidae, as Cryptolaria, Grammaria or Zygophylax .

Below we list all presently known species of Acryptolaria (in bold those found in the present study):

Acryptolaria abies (Allman, 1877)

Acryptolaria andersoni Totton, 1930

Acryptolaria angulata (Bale, 1914)

Acryptolaria bathyalis n. sp.

Acryptolaria bulbosa (Stechow, 1932)

Acryptolaria conferta (Allman, 1877)

Acryptolaria corniformis Naumov & Stepanjants, 1962

Acryptolaria crassicaulis (Allman, 1888)

Acryptolaria disordinata n. sp.

Acryptolaria encarnae n. sp.

Acryptolaria flabelloides n. sp.

Acryptolaria flabellum (Allman, 1888)

Acryptolaria gemini n. sp.

Acryptolaria gracilis (Allman, 1888)

Acryptolaria infinita n. sp.

Acryptolaria intermedia n. sp.

Acryptolaria inversa n. sp.

Acryptolaria laertesi n. sp.

Acryptolaria longitheca (Allman, 1877)

Acryptolaria medeae n. sp.

Acryptolaria minima Totton, 1930

Acryptolaria minuta Watson, 2003

Acryptolaria niobae n. sp.

Acryptolaria norfolkensis n. sp.

Acryptolaria novaecaledoniae n. sp.

Acryptolaria operculata Stepanjants, 1979

Acryptolaria profunda n. sp.

Acryptolaria pseudoangulata n. sp.

Acryptolaria pseudoundulata n. sp.

Acryptolaria pulchella (Allman, 1888)

Acryptolaria pygmaea n. sp.

Acryptolaria rectangularis (Jarvis, 1922)

Acryptolaria tetraseriata n. sp.

Acryptolaria tortugasensis Leloup, 1935

Acryptolaria undulata n. sp.