Stylasteridae (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa, Filifera) from South Africa
Cairns, Stephen D.
Zibrowius, Helmut
Zootaxa
2013
3691
1
1
57
XSHW
Studer, 1878
Studer
1878
[151,578,835,862]
Hydrozoa
Stylasteridae
Conopora
Animalia
Anthoathecata
41
42
Cnidaria
species
verrucosa
Conopora pauciseptataBroch, 1951b: 41–44.—Cairns, 1983a: 128–130, figs. 31C–D, 36A–G; 2011: fig. 8L. Conopora verrucosa:Zibrowius, 1981: 275.—Cairns, 1983b: 490, figs. 21E–H, map 11; 1991: 72–73, pls. 57e–g, 58a–d (complete synonymy). Typesand TypeLocality.The holotypeof S. verrucosusis deposited at the ZMB (#1764). TypeLocality: 35°02’S, 175°40’E(off northern North Island, New Zealand), 1092 m. The holotypeof C. pauciseptata(female colony) is deposited at the BM (2012.1). TypeLocality: 42°03.9’S, 00°03.5’E(Discovery Seamount), 472 m.
Material Examined. MNSM129, 1 femalecolony, SAM; Valdivia103, 1 colony, ZMB Cni 14537; holotypesof S. verrucosusand C. pauciseptata.
Remarks.Since so few specimens are reported herein, and this species is well described and illustrated elsewhere (see synonymy), a redescription is not provided. In brief, the specimen from MNSM129 is a female colony 24 mmin height, 21 mmin width, and 5.1 mmin basal branch diameter ( Fig. 3D). Even at this stage the commensal polychaete tube is well developed. Cyclosystems are arranged sympodially, and are about 1.4 mmin diameter. Based on 8 cyclosystems there is a range of 3–11 dactylopores per cyclosystem, and an average of 7.12. Adcauline diastemas are common, especially in cyclosystems near the colony base. The colony has one female ampulla, with an efferent pore that opens into the adjacent gastropore chamber. The typeof C. pauciseptatais identical to typical C. verrucosaexcept that it does not have a symbiosis with a commensal polynoid, which even Broch (1951b) suggested was “fortuitous”, or somewhat unusual.
Distribution.Off southeastern South Africafrom off Margate ( Natal) and eastern Agulhas Bank (Fig. 27), 500– 850 m. Elsewhere: widespread in Subantarctic South Americaand off Antarctica(see Cairns 1983a: map 11), New Zealandfrom Kermadecs to the Antipodes (Cairns 1991), Discovery Seamount, 198–2355 m.