Schizotricha multifurcata Allman, 1883

Peña Cantero, A. L. & Vervoort, W., 2005, Species of Schizotricha Allman, 1883 (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa: Halopterididae) from US Antarctic expeditions with the description of two new species, Journal of Natural History 39 (11), pp. 795-818 : 807

Schizotricha multifurcata Allman, 1883

Schizotricha multifurcata: Peña Cantero and Vervoort 1999, p 365 –366 (synonymy).

Material examined. 575/039, two stems up to 170 mm high, with gonothecae ( USNM 1025578; RMNH-Coel. 30951; MNCN 2.03/322); 8/612, numerous fragments up to 85 mm long, belonging to several colonies, with gonothecae ( USNM 1025579; RMNH- Coel. 30973; MNCN 2.03/323); 8/629, one hydrocladial fragment (in slide) ( USNM 1025580).

Diagnosis. Colonies with branched stems. Main cauline tube with single hydrothecate internodes with four or five infrathecal nematothecae. Hydrocladia up to seventh order recorded. Hydrocladia heteromerously divided into internodes; with ahydrothecate internode, provided with two nematothecae, following cauline and hydrocladial apophyses. Unforked hydrocladial internodes with two infrathecal nematothecae at different levels. Hydrotheca deep. Forked hydrocladial internodes with four or five infrathecal nematothecae; hydrocladial apophyses with one nematotheca.

Remarks. One of the two infrathecal nematothecae of the unforked hydrocladial internodes may be absent, especially in the distalmost internodes. The apophyses of the forked hydrocladial internodes are relatively long and provided with one nematotheca.

Ecology and distribution. Schizotricha multifurcata is a eurybathic species ( Peña Cantero and Vervoort 1999), having been reported from depths between 100 ( Peña Cantero 1991) and 960 m ( El Beshbeeshy 1991) on bottoms of mud (Allman 1883) and stones ( Peña Cantero and García Carrascosa 1995). Our material was collected at depths from 97 to 1244 m. Colonies with gonothecae were found in February (Allman 1883), May (present material), November ( Stechow 1925) and December ( Peña Cantero and García Carrascosa 1995).

Schizotricha multifurcata occurs mainly in the sub-Antarctic Region ( Peña Cantero and Vervoort 1999), being unknown from High Antarctica. It has been found off the Patagonian coast ( El Beshbeeshy 1991), off Bouvet ( Stechow 1925) and Heard Islands (Allman 1883), both at the borders of the Antarctic Region, and off Bristol ( Peña Cantero and García Carrascosa 1995; present material), Thule and Candlemas islands (present material), in the South Sandwich Archipelago.