Clytia cf. gracilis

Moura, Carlos J., 2015, The hydrozoan fauna (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa) from the peaks of the Ormonde and Gettysburg seamounts (Gorringe Bank, NE Atlantic), Zootaxa 3972 (2), pp. 148-180 : 167-168

Clytia cf. gracilis

(fig. 4K)

Laomedea gracilis p.p. M. Sars, 1850: 138.

Clytia gracilis .— Patriti, 1970: 33, fig. 40.— Cornelius, 1995b: 246, fig. 56.— Medel & López-González, 1996: 205.— Medel & Vervoort, 2000: 32 –34.—Peña Cantero & García Carrascosa, 2002: 145–146, fig. 28a–b.— Wirtz, 2007: 14.— Lindner et al., 2011: 23 –36, fig. 4.

Material studied. Ormonde, stn 4: considerable number of hydrothecae on one colony of Coryne eximia , DBUA 1506.01. Gettysburg, stn 5: few polyps, on Aglaophenia kirchenpaueri and Zonaria tournefortii ; DBUA 1506.02. Gettysburg, stn 6: few hydrothecae, on Zonaria tournefortii (especially on cauli), DBUA 1506.03. Gettysburg, stn 7: few colonies, on algae and Eudendrium armatum , DBUA 1506.04. Gettysburg, stn 8: few hydrothecae on Sertularella ellisii and Zonaria tournefortii ; DBUA 1506.05. Gettysburg, stn 9: several hydrothecae, on Zonaria tournefortii and calcified Bryozoa, DBUA 1506.06. Gettysburg, stn 10: considerable number of hydrothecae on some colonies of Sertularella gayi , DBUA 1506.07.

Reported distribution. Clytia gracilis was assumed to be near-cosmopolitan in shallow waters, being also reported in deep waters (e.g. see Cornelius 1995b). However, Lindner et al. (2011) already evidenced higly divergent cryptic taxa within the nominal species, solely with few taxa from the western Atlantic. The type locality of C. gracilis is in Norway. Molecular phylogenetic analyses with specimens identifiable as Clytia gracilis from the NE Atlantic (and many other geographical localities) are still needed to comprehend the extent of cryptic diversity and resolve synonymies in order to resurrect unused species names and to name new species, as well as to confirm the identity of the herein presented specimens from the Gorringe. It would also be desirable morphological information on the medusae produced by these hydroids, although (apparently) the medusae may be of little taxonomic value (e.g. Bouillon & Boero 2000).

This is the first record of this Clytia species in the Gorringe.