Coryne muscoides (Linnaeus, 1761)

Gravili, Cinzia, Vito, Doris De, Camillo, Cristina Gioia Di, Martell, Luis, Piraino, Stefano & Boero, Ferdinando, 2015, The non-Siphonophoran Hydrozoa (Cnidaria) of Salento, Italy with notes on their life-cycles: an illustrated guide, Zootaxa 3908 (1), pp. 1-187 : 51-52

Coryne muscoides (Linnaeus, 1761)

Fig. 34 A, B

See Schuchert (2010) for a complete synonymy.

Material examined. HCUS-S 0 39 (Hydrozoa Collection, University of Salento—fauna of the Salento Peninsula). Description (based on our own observations; Brinckmann-Voss 1970; Schuchert 2001b, 2010, 2012):

Hydroid. Hydrorhiza stolonal; colonies erect; hydrocauli elongated, up to 15 cm in height, dichotomously or irregularly branched, covered by perisarc usually extending up to the aboral tentacles of the hydranth in a funnelshaped cup, annulated throughout; hydranth with 16–22 capitate tentacles, arranged in an oral whorl of 4–6 tentacles and lower tentacles scattered or in 3–4 indistinct whorls, tentacles of succesive whorls alternating in position. Gonophores as fixed sporosacs, oblong, borne in the upper axils of lower tentacles, 2–3 per tentacle, all of variable developmental stages, without any canal system, with spadix, female sporosacs with 20– 70 eggs, depending also on stage maturity. Colour: perisarc, brown in old colonies to almost transparent in young ones; hydranths orange-pink, capitae of tentacles red, stems yellow-orange, mature male and female sporosacs white.

Cnidome. Stenoteles.

Habitat type. This species has been reported from the tidal level to 15 m depth ( Boero & Fresi 1986; Gili 1986) in the Mediterranean Sea.

Substrate. Algae, hydrozoans, Isidella elongata (Gorgonacee) , Cymodocea nodosa and Posidonia leaves, barnacles, bryozoans, rock, sponge, bivalves, and ascidians.

Seasonality. March to June in the European waters ( Schuchert 2001b); from January to December (De Vito 2006; this study) in Salento waters.

Reproductive period. In the Mediterranean Sea, fertile colonies occur in February ( Boero & Fresi 1986), April ( Picard 1955; De Vito 2006; this study), May ( Brinckmann-Voss 1970; Roca 1986), June ( Motz-Kossowska 1905), July, September ( Motz-Kossowska 1905; Boero & Fresi 1986; De Vito 2006; this study), August (Motz- Kossowska 1905; De Vito 2006; this study), October ( Motz-Kossowska 1905; Stechow 1919; Gili 1986; De Vito 2006; this study) and December ( Stechow 1919).

Distribution. Northeastern Atlantic, Mediterranean ( Leloup 1934; Picard 1958a; Brinckmann-Voss 1970; Rossi 1971; Altuna 1994; Avian et al. 1995; Medel 1996; Medel & López-González 1996; Schuchert 2001; Peña Cantero & García Carrascosa 2002; Bouillon et al. 2004; Gravili et al. 2008a; Soto Ãngel & Peña Cantero 2013).

Records in Salento. Common at: La Strea, Porto Cesareo ( Faucci & Boero 2000); Costa Merlata ( Fraschetti et al. 2002; Andreano 2007); S.ta Caterina ( Andreano 2007); Otranto (De Vito 2006; Gravili 2006; Andreano 2007; Gravili et al. 2008a; Piraino et al. 2013; this study). Other Apulian records: Gargano ( Fraschetti et al. 2002).

Remarks. The Mediterranean colonies usually differ from the Atlantic C. muscoides in being smaller; female sporosacs have fewer eggs, and the length of the large stenotele is often smaller (Schuchert 2001). The Mediterranean records of this species are also discussed in the remarks on Coryne pusilla (for more details see Schuchert 2005a, 2010).

References. Motz-Kossowska (1905), Stechow (1919, 1923), Leloup (1934), Da Cunha (1944), Picard (1952, 1958a), Riedl (1959), Teissier (1965), Brinckmann-Voss (1970), Fey (1970), Rossi (1971), Boero (1981c), Boero et al. (1985), Roca & Moreno (1985), Boero & Fresi (1986), Gili (1986), Ramil Blanco (1988), Roca et al. (1991), García-Raso et al. (1992), Altuna (1994), Medel (1996), Medel & López-González (1996), Piraino et al. (1999), Faucci & Boero (2000), Schuchert (2001b, 2010, 2012), Fraschetti et al. (2002), Peña Cantero & García Carrascosa (2002), Bouillon et al. (2004), De Vito (2006), Gravili (2006), Galea (2007), Gravili et al. (2008a), Puce et al. (2009), Piraino et al. (2013).

Figures

FIGURE 34. Coryne muscoides: A, typical colony; B, hydranth with female sporosac (drawn by C. G. Di Camillo, B redrawn and modified after Schuchert 2001 b). Scale bars: A, 1.0 mm; B, 0.5 mm.