Similomerona nemathopora (Antsulevich, 1986)

Picture: Fig. 1

Picture: Fig. 2

Picture: Fig. 3

SYNONYMY

Rhizogeton nematophorum Antsulevich 1986

Similomerona nematophorum Schuchert 2004

DESCRIPTION

Polymorhic colonies, differentiated into gastrozooids, gonozooids and nemathozooids. Feeding polyps stolonal, with scattered filiform tentacles on the upper 2/3 part of hydrant, with its base covered by a wrinkled perisarc (Fig1, Fig 2). Nematozooids much smaller then gastrozooids, without mouth, bearing 4-7 shortened tentacles (Fig.3). Gonozooids are in the form of sporosacs developing on stolons.

DISTRIBUTION IN SVALBARD

Tommeloyanne, Whalenbergfjorden

First record for Svalbard waters

WORLD DISTRIBUTION

Franz Josef Land, British Columbia

DEPTH

10-30 m

SUBSTRATE

algae, Balanus sp., Bryozoa

REPRODUCTION

fixed gonophores

not seen in the Svalbard collection