Cordylophoridae von Lendenfeld, 1885

Calder, Dale R., 2010, Some anthoathecate hydroids and limnopolyps (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa) from the Hawaiian archipelago 2590, Zootaxa 2590 (1), pp. 1-91 : 17

Family Cordylophoridae von Lendenfeld, 1885

Cordylophorinae von Lendenfeld, 1885: 221.

Diagnosis. Filiferan hydroids with erect, monopodial colonies; arising from a creeping hydrorhiza. Hydrocaulus branched, with hydrocladia given off immediately from hydrocaulus rather than being adnate to it for a varying distance basally; perisarc enveloping hydrocauli, hydrocladia, pedicels, and hydrorhiza, not extending over hydranths as a pseudohydrotheca. Hydranths spindle-shaped; tentacles filiform, scattered over hydranth body; hypostome conical to nipple-shaped.

Gonophores fixed sporosacs, borne on hydrocladia and hydranth pedicels; spadix branched.

Remarks. Cordylophoridae von Lendenfeld, 1885 was originally established as a subfamily (Cordylophorinae) within Clavidae McCrady 1859 . Two genera were originally included in it, Cordylophora Allman, 1843 and Merona Norman, 1865 . In having polymorphic hydranths and nematophores, however, Merona differs significantly from Cordylophora and was removed from Cordylophorinae ( Calder 1988). The single remaining genus Cordylophora has been assigned in most recent works to Oceaniidae Eschscholtz, 1829 . Cordylophoridae has been recognized as valid in the World Hydrozoa Database, but its recognition may be temporary because molecular studies on Cordylophora suggest an affinity with Bougainvilliidae Lütken, 1850 ( Schuchert 2009) . As for Clavidae , its type genus ( Clava Gmelin, 1791 ) is now known to be a hydractiniid (see Remarks above under family Oceaniidae ).