Additions to the hydroids (Cnidaria) of the Galápagos, with a list of species reported from the islands

Abstract

The hydroid fauna of the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, is known largely from reports of collections made between 1932 and 1938 during several Allan Hancock Pacific Expeditions. Of some 100 nominal species (excluding Stylasteridae) reported from the archipelago overall, including species obtained during other expeditions, 81 are recognized as valid. An additional 15 species are added here, 14 of them based on collections undertaken between 1992 and 2000. Leptothecates account for 66 of the 96 species, while anthoathecates comprise the remaining 30. One previously undescribed leptothecate, Halopteris violae, sp. nov., is characterized and compared with H. tenella (Verrill, 1874) and H. minuta (Trebilcock, 1928), species it closely resembles. Gonothecae of Sertularella costata Leloup, 1940 are described for the first time. Plumularia galapagensis, nom. nov., is proposed as a replacement name for the invalid junior primary homonym Plumularia tenuissima Fraser, 1938b (not Plumularia tenuissima Totton, 1930). Under provisions of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, the widely used name Cladocoryne floccosa Rotch, 1871 is designated a nomen protectum and assigned precedence over its largely unknown senior synonym Hydra corynaria Bosc, 1797, which is reduced to the status of nomen oblitum. Balella irregularis (Fraser, 1938) from the Galápagos is considered conspecific with Balella mirabilis (Nutting, 1905) from Hawaii and Japan. Six new combinations are introduced: Bimeria laxa Fraser, 1938a is assigned to the genus Garveia Wright, 1859, as G. laxa (Fraser, 1938a); Tubularia integra Fraser, 1938a is assigned to Ectopleura L. Agassiz, 1862, as E. integra (Fraser, 1938a); Campanulina ramosa Fraser, 1938a is assigned to Opercularella Hincks, 1868, as O. ramosa (Fraser, 1938a); Bonneviella minor Fraser, 1938a is assigned to Scandia Fraser, 1912, as S. minor (Fraser, 1938a); Campanularia gracilicaulis Fraser, 1938a is assigned to Clytia Lamouroux, 1812, as C. gracilicaulis (Fraser, 1938a); Sertularia anceps Fraser, 1938a is assigned to Dynamena Lamouroux, 1812, as D. anceps (Fraser, 1938a). Hydroids of the Galápagos are moderately well known faunistically, at least in comparison with those of other areas in the Eastern Pacific Tropical Region.

Keywords:

• Cnidaria
• Eastern Pacific
• Ecuador
• Galapagos
• Halopteris Violae
• Hydroids
• Hydrozoa
• Invertebrates
• Leptolida
• Taxonomy