Acryptolaria conferta Allman 1877

Acryptolaria conferta (Allman, 1877)

Fig. 79 A–C

See Schuchert (2001a) for a complete synonymy.

Material examined. HCUS-S 0 86 (Hydrozoa Collection, University of Salento—fauna of the Salento Peninsula). Description (based on our own observations; Ramil & Vervoort 1992 as Acryptolaria conferta conferta; Schuchert 2001a):

Hydroid. Hydrorhiza reptant, as a thick mass of stolons; colonies erect; hydrocauli polysiphonic basally, up to 4 cm in height, branched, axis and most part of branches and hydrocladia composed of numerous tubes longitudinally arranged and anastomosed with each other, monosiphonic parts with a sympodial structure, axis straight to geniculate; hydrothecae lateral, in the same plane and alternate, tubular, basal part merging into hydrocladia, distal part free and curved outwards, rim even and circular, hydrothecal renovations frequent. Gonothecae amphora-shaped, in coppiniae with several gonothecae, acrocyst present in female gonothecae.

Cnidome. Microbasic mastigophores.

Habitat type. Deep water species, recorded at depths ranging between 125–1400 m (Schuchert 2001a).

Substrate. Shell, coral fragments, worm tubes, on hydroid Polyplumaria flabellata, and white corals.

Seasonality. April, June, September (Bouillon et al. 2004; Moura 2011) in the western Mediterranean Sea; February, September (Mastrototaro et al. 2010).

Reproductive period. Unknown in Salento; June in and around the Strait of Gibraltar (Ramil & Vervoort 1992)

Distribution. Cosmopolitan (Ramil & Vervoort 1992; Medel & López-González 1996; Schuchert 2001a; Bouillon et al. 2004).

Records in Salento. In deep water, on white corals at S. Maria di Leuca (Mastrototaro et al. 2010).

Remarks. The great variability of Acryptolaria conferta induced Ramil & Vervoort (1992) to propose the subspecies minor based in its small size and the lack of intermediate specimens linking it to larger specimens. Peña-Cantero et al. (2007) argued that this taxon has no clearly distinguishing features.

References. Lo Bianco (1903 as Cryptolaria conferta), Rossi (1950), Picard (1958a), Patriti (1970), Marinopoulos (1981), Roca (1986, 1989), Templado et al. (1986), Ramil & Vervoort (1992), Medel & López- González (1996), Bouillon et al. (2004), Mastrototaro et al. (2010).