Aglaophenia tubulifera ( Hincks, 1861 )

Aglaophenia tubulifera ( Hincks, 1861) View in CoL

( Fig. 10A–B View FIGURE 10 )

Plumularia tubulifera Hincks, 1861: 256 , pl. 7 figs. 1–2.

Aglaophenia tubulifera View in CoL : Billard, 1906b: 231–237, figs 20–21.— Patriti, 1970: 50, fig. 69.— Svoboda, 1979: 86, figs 12F, 13F, 15F, 16F. — Gili et al., 1989: 95–96, fig. 20B.— Svoboda & Cornelius, 1991: 36–38, figs 15–16, 19C–D, 24C–D.— Ramil &Vervoort, 1992a: 97–98, fig. 23E–I.— Ramil et al., 1998: 10–14, figs 2–4.— Ansín Agís et al., 2001: 68–73, fig. 32.— Vervoort, 2006: 262–263.

Material examined. BISSAU-0810, stn BS133, 11º29'17"– 11º28'26"N, 17º15'14"– 17º15'14"W, 733–737 m, 23-X-2008: one colony without corbulae, 80 mm high, growing on a worm tube.

BISSAU-0810, stn BS147, 11º08'35"– 11º08'27"N, 17º11'31"– 17º10'37"W, 186–306 m, 26-X-2008: one colony without corbulae, 130 mm high, substrate unknown.

BISSAU-0810, stn BS152, 10º31'12"– 10º30'19"N, 17º12'34"– 17º12'32"W, 300–305 m, 27-X-2008: 37 colonies without corbulae, 11–157 mm high, of which one growing on a worm tube.

BISSAU-0810, stn BS157, 10º19'36"– 10º18'44"N, 17º10'29"– 17º10'12"W, 304–308 m, 28-X-2008: 22 colonies (five with corbulae), 24–120 mm high, of which three growing on worm tubes.

Remarks. Aglaophenia tubulifera is a well-known species from the East Atlantic and no further comments are necessary. Variations in hydrothecal morphology and development of the mesial nematothecae have been documented by Ramil et al. (1998).

Biology. This species grows mainly on other hydroid species ( Eudendrium sp. , Cryptolaria sp. , Halecium marocanum , Streptocaulus corneliusi , Nemertesia ramosa , Polyplumaria flabellata , Pseudoplumaria sabinae , Diphasia alata , Sertularella gayi and Sertularella sp. ), but also on antipatharian stalks and worm tubes ( Ramil & Vervoort 1992a; Ramil et al. 1998; Ansín Agís et al. 2001); also reported on sponges ( Billard 1906b) and rocks or similar substrates ( Cornelius 1995b). In the northern hemisphere, fertile material has been collected throughout the year, except in October and December ( Ansín Agís et al. 2001; Gil & Ramil 2017a).

In our material, some colonies were found growing on worm tubes. Colonies with corbulae were found in October.

Distribution. Aglaophenia tubulifera is an East-Atlantic species that penetrates the Mediterranean to the Alboran Sea ( Svoboda & Cornelius 1991; Ramil & Vervoort 1992a), with a bathymetric range extending from 8 to 1513 m ( Ansín Agís et al. 2001; Gil & Ramil 2017a). In West Africa, it has been recorded from Morocco ( Billard 1906b; Patriti 1970; Ramil & Vervoort 1992a), Western Sahara ( Billard 1906b), Mauritania ( Gil & Ramil 2017a), the Cape Verde Islands ( Svoboda 1979; Vervoort 2006) and Guinea-Bissau ( Gili et al. 1989).

Our material was collected at depths between 186–737 m.