On a collection of shallow-water hydroids (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa) from Guadeloupe and Les Saintes, French Lesser Antilles Author Galea, Horia R. text Zootaxa 2008 1878 1 54 journal article 10.5281/zenodo.184149 086e0d63-8af0-4ad1-8884-03fa56b5ea98 1175-5326 184149 Coryne sp. (fig. 3A–D) Material examined . Stn. 3 : 01.04.2008 —several colonies of various sizes, some with propagulae and/or medusa buds, on algae and concretions. Stn. 7 : 25.03.2008 —a few sterile colonies, some hydranths with propagulae, on concretions ( MHNG INVE 60982); 29.03.2008 —a small, sterile colony, propagulae absent, on hydrocoral. Description . Colonies stolonal, cauli relatively short ( 0.2–2.3 mm high); perisarc smooth, diameter gradually increasing from base (105–120 µm) towards distal end (170–260 µm). Hydranths cylindrical, 0.5–2.0 mm high, 300–325 µm wide, hypostome short, dome-shaped. Perisarc collar at hydranth base absent. One whorl of 4 tentacles around hypostome held nearly vertically; five additional, more or less distinct rows of lower tentacles scattered over 2/3–3/4 of body; a total of up to 26 tentacles per hydranth; all capitate, filiform tentacles absent. Oral tentacles with diameter of capitula exceeding those of lower tentacles (115–125 µm vs . 70–100 µm); stalks short and slightly tapering distally, length decreasing from distal to proximal row. Some stems with lateral, branch-like structures covered with perisarc, these irregularly ramified several times; propagulae budded off from open tips; 190–215 µm long, 115–125 µm wide. Gonophores developing among the lowest whorl of tentacles, the latter occasionally less numerous than in sterile specimens; liberated as free medusae; up to 8 buds per polyp. Medusa buds globular to pear-shaped; borne on short pedicels; 4 tentacle bulbs visible as brown patches, each with one red ocellus. No other structures could be examined. Some polyps simultaneously producing frustules and medusae. Color: white-milk to pale pink, hypostome of polyp and manubrium of medusa buds brownish. Cnidome of polyp and propagula (undischarged capsules): two size classes of stenoteles, large (17.8–20.8) × (13.6–14.7) µm and small (8.6–10.4) × (6.6–7.4) µm. Cnidome of medusa buds (undischarged capsules): desmonemes (6.4–7.1) × (3.7–4.1) µm; three distinct size classes of stenoteles, i.e. large (11.4–12.7) × (8.7–10.4) µm, medium-sized (9.3–10.7) × (6.6–8.4) µm, and small (7.1– 7.4) × (5.6–6.1) µm. FIGURE 3 . A to D: Coryne sp.—Hydroid with propagulae budding off from tips of branch-like structures (A); fragment of fertile colony with medusa buds (B); propagula (C); nematocysts of the hydroid (left) and medusa bud (right) (D). E: Pennaria disticha Goldfuss, 1820 —hydranth with gonophore. F: Sphaerocoryne bedoti Pictet, 1893 —hydroid. G to I: Zyzzyzus warreni Calder, 1988 b—hydroid with gonophores (G); female gonophore in frontal (above) and lateral (bottom) views, showing blastostyle and two developing actinulae (H); nematocysts of hydranth (I). J to L: Zanclea migottoi sp. nov. —pedicels, showing the structure of perisarc (J); fertile (left) and sterile (right) hydranths (K); nematocysts (L). M and N: Aequorea sp.—fragment of colony (M); nematocysts of hydranth (N). O and P: Clytia gracilis (M. Sars, 1850) —hydrotheca with pedicel (O); gonotheca (P). R and S: Clytia hummelincki (Leloup, 1935) —hydrotheca with pedicel (R); gonotheca (S). Scale bars: 10 µm (D, I, L, N); 100 µm (C); 200 µm (M, P); 300 µm (F, H, J, K, R); 400 µm (S); 500 µm (E, O); 1 mm (A, B, G). Remarks . This species, from areas with high water movement, exhibits two simultaneous modes of reproduction and dispersal: asexual, by massive production and release of frustules, and sexual, liberating free swimming medusae. The formation of frustules in the genus Coryne has been rarely described, as for instance the South-African record by Millard (1975) of a dwarf, sterile form, provisionally assigned to C. pusilla Gaertner, 1774 . Due to its peculiar mode of reproduction, the present material may belong to a new species, but I refrain in naming it until the adult medusa is known. Distribution . Presently known from Guadeloupe and Les Saintes.