Clytia hemisphaerica ( Linnaeus, 1767 )

Clytia hemisphaerica ( Linnaeus, 1767) View in CoL

Medusa hemisphaerica Linnaeus, 1767: 1098 View in CoL .

Clytia hemisphaerica View in CoL : Millard, 1975: 217–218, fig. 72A–D.— Gili et al., 1989: 106, fig. 30B–C.— Calder, 1991: 57–61, fig. 32.— Cornelius, 1995b: 252–255, fig. 57.— Medel & Vervoort, 2000: 34–38.— Schuchert, 2001: 152, fig. 132.— Peña Cantero & García Carrascosa, 2002: 147–149, fig. 28C–D.

Campanularia johnstoni View in CoL : Leloup, 1937: 97–98, fig. 3.— Buchanan, 1957: 358.— Vervoort, 1959: 312–313.— Patriti 1970: 32, fig. 39.— Redier, 1971: 504.

Material examined. BISSAU-0810, stn BS191, 10º18'25"– 10º19'20"N, 16º08'47"– 16º08'47"W, 24–25 m, 3-XI-2008: four colonies without gonothecae, of which two growing on crustaceans, one on Dynamena disticha and one on a bryozoan.

Remarks. The more hemispherical hydrothecae with rounded, not inwardly curved marginal cusps and the morphology of the gonothecae are diagnostic, and separate this species from C. gracilis .

Biology. This species has usually been found as an epibiont on algae, other hydroids, bryozoans, worm tubes, other invertebrates, floating objects and in fouling communities. In the northern hemisphere, fertile material has been found throughout the year ( Peña Cantero & García Carrascosa 2002).

In our material, colonies were found growing on crustaceans, the hydroid D. disticha and on a bryozoan.

Distribution. Clytia hemisphaerica is a circumglobal species ( Calder 1991; Peña Cantero & García Carrascosa 2002). In West Africa, it has been recorded from Morocco ( Patriti 1970), West Sahara ( Leloup 1937, as Campanularia johnstoni ), Mauritania ( Vervoort 2006), Guinea-Bissau, the Republic of Guinea ( Vervoort 1959, as C. johnstoni ), the Ivory Coast ( Redier 1971, as C. johnstoni ), Ghana ( Buchanan 1957, as C. johnstoni ) and Namibia ( Gili et al. 1989). Its bathymetric distribution extends from 0 to 702 m ( Peña Cantero & García Carrascosa 2002).

Our material was collected at depths between 24–25 m.