Sertularella argentinica El Beshbeeshy, 1991

Galea, Horia R., 2007, Hydroids and hydromedusae (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa) from the fjords region of southern Chile, Zootaxa 1597 (1), pp. 1-116 : 59-60

Sertularella argentinica El Beshbeeshy, 1991

(fig. 14A–C, table 20)

Sertularella argentinica El Beshbeeshy, 1991: 151 , fig. 37.

Material examined. Stn. MEL 01 —08.iii.2005, 10– 15 m, S76: one sterile colony, 8 cm high, 2 slides ( MHNG INVE 53268 ) .

Type locality. Atlantic coast of South America, roughly between 40°52'– 53°27' S , 56°42'– 66°15' W.

Description. One colony ca 8 cm high, arising from rhizoid stolon. Perisarc relatively thick, brown to dark-brown. Colony strongly polysiphonic basally, grading rapidly to monosiphonic in upper part. Stem and branches delimited into internodes by oblique nodes, more visible in older parts of colony and only slightly marked or quite invisible in younger parts. Longitudinal axis of stem and branches straight. Internodes relatively short, as long as adnate part of adcauline side of hydrotheca, or shorter. Branches with origins below stem hydrothecae, these becoming axillar; branches arising in a quite regular manner, every 2 or 3 hydrothe- cae, alternately left and right, in one plane. With up to 3 rd order branches. Hydrothecae tubular, abcauline wall slightly concave to nearly straight. Free adcauline wall generally shorter than its corresponding adnate part; concave, surface smooth or slightly undulated. Perisarc of ab- and adcauline sides equally developed. Hydrothecal margin with four cusps, with rounded tips; abcauline and adcauline cusps equal in length, longer than laterals, and slightly everted. Embayments of margin shallow, each provided with a triangular flap, with concentric striation from tip to base. Hydrothecal rim with generally 1 or 2 closely-spaced renovations. Gonothecae absent.

Remarks. The gonothecae of S. argentinica have been described by El Beshbeeshy (1991).

Hydroid epibionts. Sertularella robusta Coughtrey, 1876 ; Symplectoscyphus filiformis ( Allman, 1888) .

World distribution. Probably endemic to Patagonia, previously found along the Atlantic coasts of Argentina ( El Beshbeeshy 1991).

Records from Chile. The present material, from northwest of Melinka, represents the first record for Chile.