Porpita porpita (Linnaeus, 1758)

Synonyms in the area: Porpita pacifica —Bigelow 1911 [polyp]; Porpita umbella —Alvariño 1971; Mianzan & Girola 1990; Kelmo & Santa Isabel 1998; Migotto et al. 2002; Silveira & Morandini 2011 [polyp].

Distribution in South America: polyp—Pacific Ocean, Colombia to Peru, from 6°N to 2°N, at east of Galápagos Archipelago, at 10.24°S 81.27°W (Bigelow 1911; Alvariño 1976; Calder et al. 2003; Baldrich 2007; IMARPE database of zooplankton); Atlantic Ocean, Colombia, at 11.21°N 74.23°W, Venezuela, at 11.99°N 69.82°W, Brazil to Uruguay, from 2.50°S to 4.50°S, from 11.20°S to 13.20°S, from 20°S to 29.5°S, at 34.17°S 53.70°W, at 34.32°S 53°W, at 34.70°S 54.17°W (Alvariño 1971, 1981; Mianzan & Girola 1990; Kelmo & Santa Isabel 1998; Migotto et al. 2002; Failla-Siquier 2006; Marques et al. 2006; Shimabukuro et al. 2006; Genzano et al. 2008a; Silveira & Morandini 2011; Rico et al. 2013; Lindner et al. 2014; Cazorla-Perfetti & Cedeño-Posso, 2015).

Habitat: polyp—pleustonic and oceanic species; occasionaly large populations stranded on beaches (Marques et al. 2006:80).