Acryptolaria bathyalis, Peña Cantero & Vervoort, 2010

Peña Cantero, Álvaro L. & Vervoort, Willem, 2010, Species of Acryptolaria Norman, 1875 (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa, Lafoeidae) collected in the Western Pacific by various French expeditions, with the description of nineteen new species, Zoosystema 32 (2), pp. 267-332 : 274-275

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5252/z2010n2a5
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4551838
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03E5636A-FF9B-FFAC-FCE4-52AE75F9F92E
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Acryptolaria bathyalis
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Acryptolaria bathyalis View in CoL n. sp.

( Figs 2 View FIG ; 30 View FIG ; 31B View FIG ; Table 3)

TYPE MATERIAL. — Loyalty Islands. MUSORSTOM 6, stn CP 419, 20°41.65’S, 167°03.70’E, 283 m, 16.II.1989, 1 stem c. 70 mm high, holotype (MNHN-Hy.2009-

0158); several fragments up to 25 mm long, paratype (RMNH-Coel. no. 31499) and 2 slides, paratypes (MNHN-Hy.2009-0147 and RMNH Coel. no. 35167 slide 734) .

OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Loyalty Islands. BIOCAL 1, stn DW 82, 20°30.658’- 20°30.888’S, 167°50.308’- 167°50.367’E, 440-460 m, 6.IX.1985, 3 stems up to 36 mm high ( MNCN 2.03 View Materials /407) GoogleMaps ; 1 stem c. 26 mm high in slide ( MNCN 2.03 View Materials /392) .

MUSORSTOM 6, stn CP 415, 20°40.20’S, 167°03.95’E, 461 m, 15.II.1989, 1 stem c. 45 mm high (RMNH-Coel. no. 31498) and 1 stem c. 35 mm high (RMNH-Coel. no 35113, slide 675). — Stn CP 464, 21°02.30’S, 167°31.60’E, 430 m, 21.II.1989, 1 stem c. 22 mm high (MNCN 2.03/408).

SE New Caledonia. MUSORSTOM 4, stn CP 237, 22°12.0’S, 167°16.5’E, 630 m, 2.X.1985, a few stems up to 22 mm high, on axis of gorgonian ( MNCN 2.03/409).

ETYMOLOGY. — The specific name bathyalis , from the Greek “bathos” = deep, refers to the depths at which the species was found; it is an adjective following the genus name in gender.

ECOLOGY AND DISTRIBUTION. — Acryptolaria bathyalis n. sp. was found at depths between 283 and 630 m; one colony was attached to the axis of a gorgonian. It has been collected at the Loyalty Islands and SE of New Caledonia.

DESCRIPTION

Stems up to 70 mm high. Branching frequent, at least 5th order branches present ( Fig. 31B View FIG ). Branching irregular in several planes, occasionally in one plane; with anastomoses. Branches straight, long and thin; with exception of basal part of stem, perisarc of branches little developed ( Fig. 2A, C, E View FIG ).

Hydrothecae alternately arranged in approximately one plane ( Fig. 2A, C, E View FIG ), cylindrical ( Fig. 2 View FIG ), with a constant diameter throughout, only decreasing at their base. Hydrotheca curved outwards at distal half; basal half of abcauline hydrothecal wall parallel to branch. Adcauline wall adnate to internode in about four-fifths (adnate/free ratio 3.8). Adcauline wall convex throughout; abcauline wall completely concave or straight at basal half.Hydrothecal aperture circular and outwards directed, roughly parallel to long axis of branches. Rim even, sometimes with short renovations.

Large nematocysts relatively large and fusiform ( Fig. 30 View FIG ).

Coppinia not found.

REMARKS

Acryptolaria bathyalis n. sp. is characterized by the cylindrical hydrothecae and the soft, long and straight branches. It is allied to Acryptolaria abies in having straight branches and in the shape and size of the hydrothecae, though the latter has a larger part of the adcauline wall free. They are clearly distinguishable by the size of the nematocysts (11.2 × 4.6 µm in the lectotype of A. abies ).