Turritopsis sp.

Gil, Marta & Ramil, Fran, 2025, Hydroids (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa) from Guinea Bissau, Zootaxa 5577 (1), pp. 1-89 : 11-13

Turritopsis sp.

( Fig. 2 )

? Turritopsis nutricula : Ramil & Vervoort, 1992a: 17–18.— Peña Cantero & García Carrascosa, 2002: 26, fig. 3e (non Turritopsis nutricula McCrady, 1857 ).

? Turritopsis cf nutricula : Vervoort, 2006: 212–213, fig. 6 no. 3.

Turritopsis sp. : Gil et al., 2020: 418–419, fig. 2a.

Material examined. BISSAU-0810, stn BS132, 11º31'33"N, 17º14'07"W, depth unknown, 23-X-2008: two colonies without gonophores, of which one growing on Sertularella polyzonias and the other one on Desmophyllum pertusum ( Linnaeus, 1758) .

BISSAU-0810, stn BS152, 10º31'12"– 10º30'19"N, 17º12'34"– 17º12'32"W, 300–305 m, 27-X-2008: 54 colonies (one with gonophores), up to 7 mm high, of which 11 growing on Lytocarpia myriophyllum , nine on Diphasia margareta , one on Sertularella gayi , two on Aglaophenia tubulifera , six on Aglaophenia lophocarpa , one on Lafoea gracillima , one on Diphasia sp. , one on Eudendrium sp. , one on Nemertesia sp. , and three on polychaete tubes.

BISSAU-0810, stn BS191, 10º18'25"– 10º19'20"N, 16º08'47"– 16º08'47"W, 24–25 m, 3-XI-2008: six sterile colonies, of which one growing on Tridentata loculosa , one on Eudendrium capillare , one on Idiellana pristis , one on a worm tube, one on an unidentified bryozoan and one on a decapod crustacean.

CCLME 2012-404 , stn SL-04, 10º48’29’’N, 16º34’57’’W, 32 m, 18-V-2012: a sterile colony .

Remarks. The material studied here and its nematocyst complement conform with those described earlier by Gil et al. (2020) from Mauritania, and a further discussion is consequently not required.

Colonies with gonophores were found here for the first time ( Fig. 2 ). They arise singly from the branches on short stalks, are ovoid to globular in shape, and surrounded by a thin sheath of perisarc.All are in an immature state, with a mass of tissue that does not allow further analysis. Dimensions: 0.33–0.76 mm high, 0.33–0.46 wide.

Our finding represents the first record of a species of Turritopsis for Guinea-Bissau.

Biology. This species has been found growing on algae, bryozoans, hydrozoans, polychaete tubes, ascidians, gorgonians, and was also associated with cold-water coral mounds ( Gil et al. 2020; Gil & Ramil 2021b).

Colonies in our material were found growing on hydroids, bryozoans, worm tubes, a crustacean, and associated with cold-water coral mounds. Fertile material was found in November for the first time in the northern hemisphere.

Distribution. Turritopsis sp. has been recorded from the south of Madeira ( Vervoort 2006; as Turritopsis cf. nutricula McCrady, 1857 ), the Alboran Sea, Morocco ( Ramil & Vervoort 1992a; Peña Cantero & García Carrascosa 2002; both as Turritopsis nutricula ), Mauritania ( Gil et al. 2020) and the Vema Seamount ( Gil & Ramil 2021b). Its bathymetric distribution ranges between 0–642 m ( Peña Cantero & García Carrascosa 2002; Gil et al. 2020).

Our material was collected at depths between 24–305 m.

Figures

FIGURE 2. A–C. Turritopsis sp. (stn BS152); A. Colony with gonophores growing on Sertularella gayi; B–C, details of the gonophores. Scales: a, 1 mm; b–c, 0.2 mm.