Hydroid Corymorpha glacialis

Description

Identified by Peter Schuchert. Identifying the two specimens was initially rather difficult. Both polyps, but especially the larger 008#4, has a polyp body which shows some bilateral features, viz the outline seen from below is kidney shaped. This is otherwise typical for the related genus Branchiocerianthus. However, other diagnostic features of the genus Branchiocerianthus are absent: branched blastostyles (stalks bearing the gonads), blastostyles arranged in a horseshoe- shape, shorter tentacles on one side of the hydranth. So, I think that the kidney-shaped bodies are a result of the large size. Note that the polyp body is bent to one side in order to bring the tentacle crown to an almost vertical position, one side of the body and the lower tentacles are thus pressed against the stem. With age, these might therefore be modified Besides the body form, only the size deviates from existing descriptions of this species. In the original description of Sars, he gives a size of maximal 5 inches, which is not so much different from the present specimens. Likely only specimen 008#4 is larger than 5 inches. The size of animals I have seen so far was 4-5 cm. Anyway, I will mention these two specimens as deep water forms of C. glacialis (normal occurrence is 20-220 m). Corymorpha glacialis is a rather rare species and only a handful of specimens have been seen so far.

Item Type:	Image
Title:	Hydroid Corymorpha glacialis
Creator(s):	Jones, D and Schuchert, P
Identification:	Jones, D
Date:	27 September 2009
Copyright:	SERPENT project
Classification:	Kingdom Animalia > Phylum Cnidaria (Cnidarians) > Hydrozoa (Polyps, Medusas) > Hydroida
Species:	Corymorpha glacialis
Behaviour:	Attached to seabed. Probably feeding.
Site:	Atlantic > North Sea > West of Shetland > Tornado North Sea > West of Shetland > Tornado
Site Description:	Seafloor
Depth (m):	1050
Latitude:	60 deg 33' 44" N
Longitude:	4 deg 27' 23" W
Countries:	UK > West of Shetland
Habitat:	benthic
Substratum:	hetrogeneous seafloor
Rig:	Stena Carron
Project Partners:	OMV, Oceaneering, Stena
ROV:	Magnum 156
Keywords:	Hydroid, Corymorpha glacialis, tornado, wos, faroe-shetland
Deposited By:	Dr Daniel Jones
Deposited On:	23 December 2009

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