Revision of the genus Cryptolarella Stechow, 1913 (Lafoeidae, Leptothecata, Hydrozoa)

Abstract

The bathyal genus Cryptolarella, comprising three known species, Cryptolarella abyssicola (Allman, 1888), Cryptolarella diffusa (Allman, 1888) and Cryptolarella humilis (Allman, 1888), is reviewed after the study of the holotypes of the species. A complete redescription and characterization of the species, including new data concerning morphometry and cnidome is presented, and its literature data reviewed. We conclude that all species are conspecific, resulting in a single valid species, C. abyssicola. The distinctive characters of the species are the growth habit, gonothecal arrangement and cnidome.

Keywords:

• Deep‐water
• geographical distribution
• hydroids
• re‐description
• systematics
• taxonomy

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Ms. Sheila Halsey (The Natural History Museum, London, UK) and Dr. Leen van Ofwegen (Nationaal Natuurhistorisch Museum, Leiden, The Netherlands) for the loan of specimens, Prof. Wim Vervoort (Nationaal Natuurhistorisch Museum) for his help with the bibliography and revision of the text, and Dr. A. M. García‐Carrascosa (Universidad de Valencia, Spain) for accommodating us in his laboratory for part of the studies. The project had financial support from Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP 2001/02626‐7 and 2001/10677‐0), National Museum of Natural History, Department of Invertebrate Zoology, United States Antarctic Program funded by the National Science Foundation (OPP‐9509761), and from Ramon y Cajal Program co‐sponsored by Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología and Universidad de Valencia. A.C.M. and A.E.M. also have financial support from the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq; 300271/2001‐8 and 300194/1994‐3, respectively).

Notes

In bold are marked the extreme values recorded for the species.

^aTotal length of the hydrothecae; ^bVervoort (1985, p 286) recorded “in the present material the length of the adnate hydrothecal wall varies between 1100 and 1350 µm” although he recorded different values in his table on page 286 (his data included in this table).