Parawrightia robusta Warren, 1907

Calder, Dale R., 2013, Some shallow-water hydroids (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa) from the central east coast of Florida, USA, Zootaxa 3648 (1), pp. 1-72 : 12

Parawrightia robusta Warren, 1907

Fig. 1g

Parawrightia robusta Warren, 1907: 187 , text-figs. 1, 2B, 3A,B, 4A,B, pls. 33, 34.— Jones, 2002: 217.

Type locality. South Africa: Natal , “...Park Rynie...Isipingo and Scottsburg” ( Warren 1907) .

Voucher material. Fort Pierce Inlet , north jetty, north side, 27°28’24.2”N, 80°17’20.3”W, low water, 20.ii.1991, collected manually, one colony, on Thyroscyphus ramosus , up to 5 mm high, without gonophores, coll. D.R. Calder, ROMIZ B1110 .

Remarks. Records of Parawrightia robusta Warren, 1907 indicate that it is a shallow-water hydroid, occurring from low-water to about 12 m ( Grohmann et al. 2003). It has been found on substrates such as seaweeds, sponges, and other hydroids. Although reported infrequently, its occurrence on the east coast of Florida is not surprising given its known distribution from Bermuda to Brazil in the western Atlantic (see below). Justification for recognition of the genus Parawrightia Warren, 1907 has been given earlier ( Calder 1988).

Reported distribution. Atlantic coast of Florida. Biscayne Bay ( Jones 2002).

Western Atlantic. Florida to Brazil ( Grohmann et al. 2003), including Bermuda ( Calder 1988) and the Caribbean Sea ( Wedler & Larson 1986, as Garveia robusta ; Calder & Kirkendale 2005).

Elsewhere. Indian Ocean ( Millard 1975, as Rhizorhagium robustum ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. a, Pennaria disticha: part of hydrocaulus with annulated pedicel and juvenile hydranth, ROMIZ B1118; scale equals 0.5 mm. b, Cladocoryne floccosa: stem and hydranth, ROMIZ B1114, scale equals 0.5 mm. c, Velella velella: juvenile, left-sailing form, ROMIZ B1113, scale equals 1 mm. d, Zanclea alba: pedicel and hydranth, ROMIZ B3961, scale equals 0.25 mm. e, Solanderia gracilis: tip of branch with three hydranths, ROMIZ B3962, scale equals 0.25 mm. f, Turritopsis fascicularis: pedicel and hydranth with medusa bud, ROMIZ B1106, scale equals 0.25 mm. g, Parawrightia robusta: part of pedicel and hydranth, ROMIZ B1110, scale equals 0.25 mm. h, Bimeria vestita: pedicel and hydranth, ROMIZ B1116, scale equals 0.25 mm. i, Eudendrium carneum: part of hydrocaulus with pedicel and hydranth, ROMIZ B3960, scale equals 0.25 mm.