Diphasia alata ( Hincks, 1855 )

Diphasia alata ( Hincks, 1855) View in CoL

Sertularia alata Hincks, 1855: 127–128 View in CoL , Pl. II.

Diphasia alata View in CoL : Hincks, 1869: 258, Pl. XLVIII fig. 2.— Patriti, 1970: 43, fig. 56.— Cornelius, 1995b: 35–37, fig. 5.— Gil & Ramil, 2017b: 304–306, fig. 2.

Diphasia pinastrum View in CoL : Cornelius, 1979: 267–269, fig. 13.— Ramil & Vervoort, 1992a: 210–213, fig. 57B–E.

Material examined. BISSAU-0810, stn BS200, 10º18'55"N, 16º25'07"W, 79 m, 4-XI-2008: one colony 12 mm high with gonothecae; unknown substrate.

Remarks. Our material is consistent with that described by Gil & Ramil (2017b), and represents the first record of D. alata for Guinea-Bissau, and the southernmost record in West Africa.

Biology. This species has been reported growing on worm tubes, bivalve shells and hydroids ( Browne 1907; Ritchie 1910; Ramil & Vervoort 1992a; Medel & Vervoort 1998) and soft bottoms ( Gil & Ramil 2017b). In the northern hemisphere, colonies with gonothecae have been found between April and September, and in December ( Browne 1907; Billard 1931a; Teissier 1965; Ramil & Vervoort 1992a; Medel & Vervoort 1998; Gil & Ramil 2017b).

Distribution. Diphasia alata is an East-Atlantic species. In West Africa, it has been recorded from Morocco to Mauritania ( Gil & Ramil 2017b). Its bathymetric distribution ranges from 7 m ( Marine Biological Association 1957) to 1024 m ( Gil & Ramil 2017b).

The colony studied by us was collected at a depth of 79 m.