Hebella scandens Bale 1888

Hebella cf. scandens (Bale, 1888)

(Fig. 1A, B)

Hebella scandens ― Boero et al., 1997: 8, Fig. 2.

Hebella calcarata ― Leloup, 1974: 9, Fig. 6 (not Laodicea calcarata L. Agassiz, 1862).

Material examined. HF9, Los Gemelos, lat. -54.91942, long. -67.36308, 15.xii.2010, 12.6 m, sample C130: sterile colony on Synthecium protectum Jäderholm, 1903 (MHNG-INVE-83256). HF11, southern exit of Canal Williams, lat. -45.60000, long. -74.46667, 19.xi.2011, 8.9 m, sample C009: fertile colony on S. protectum (MHNG-INVE- 86257).

Remarks. The somewhat proximally swollen hydrothecae, tapering gradually towards a slightly everted aperture, provided basally with a thick diaphragm, as well as the large gonothecae with a four-flapped operculum, suggest that we are most probably dealing with Bale’s (1888) species. The cnidome, although quite difficult to observe in this rather scarce material, seems to be indistinguishable from that described earlier by one of us (Galea 2013). The Chilean specimens examined by Leloup (1974), although of similar size, show hydrothecae curved basally to a varying extent, a feature possibly resulting from their epizootic habit.

Distribution in Chile. Calbuco Channel, Reloncaví Sound [Leloup 1974, as H. calcarata (L. Agassiz, 1862)], Los Gemelos, and Canal Williams (present records).

World records. Circumglobal (Millard 1975), except for polar seas.