Hydroids (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa) of the Danish expedition to

HYDROIDS OF THE DANISH EXPEDITION TO THE KEI ISLANDS
Fig. 69. Macrorhynchia phoenicea (Busk, 1852); variant morphotype from station 24. A. Colony silhouette. B. Hydrocladial
segment, note elongated shape (compare Fig. 68C–E). C. Variation of lateral nematotheca and hydrothecal margin within one
hydrocladium, proximal hydrotheca below, distal one at top, note second opening in lateral nematotheca of middle region,
same scale as B. – Scales: A = 1 cm; B–C = 50 µm.
Gibbons (1989). The morphology approaches
also the one of material described by Pictet
(1893) as Aglaophenia disjuncta, but the internodes
and hydrothecae are less elongated. Bedot
(1926) considered Aglaophenia disjuncta Pictet,
1893 as a synonym of M. phoenicea and a reexamination
of the type material of A. disjuncta
(MHNG INVE 25025, Bay of Ambon, Moluccas,
80 m) indeed confirmed the close resemblance.
Aglaophenia disjuncta, however, is characterized
by very long hydrocladial internodes
(Fig. 70), while the hydrothecae appear not distinguishable
from M. phoenicea. The observed
internode length (0.35–0.40 mm), however, is
perhaps beyond the variation observed for M.
phoenicea (0.27–0.34 mm, cf. also Figs 68C–E
and 69B). Because the gonosome of Aglaophenia
disjuncta remains also unknown, I prefer to
regard it as only questionably conspecific with
M. phoenicea.
Distribution
Australia, Indonesia, Malay Peninsula, New
Guinea, Philippines, South China Sea, Japan,
225
Fig. 70. Aglaophenia disjuncta Pictet, 1893; type material.
Hydrocladial segment. – Scale: 50 µm.