The non-Siphonophoran Hydrozoa (Cnidaria) of Salento, Italy with notes on their life-cycles: an illustrated guide Author Gravili, Cinzia Author Vito, Doris De Author Camillo, Cristina Gioia Di Author Martell, Luis Author Piraino, Stefano Author Boero, Ferdinando text Zootaxa 2015 3908 1 1 187 journal article 42365 10.11646/zootaxa.3908.1.1 6f1d1977-6b97-4789-828c-76ed250cf1ae 1175-5326 242729 D6AD2B49-170B-4D9C-84AA-DBE0FEEAD8BE Aglaophenia octodonta ( Heller, 1868 ) Fig. 53 A–C See Svoboda & Cornelius (1991) for a complete synonymy. FIGURE 53. Aglaophenia octodonta : A , general view of a colony; B , hydrotheca and associated nematothecae; C , corbula (drawn by C.G. Di Camillo). Scale bars: A, 10 mm; B, 250 µm; C, 1.0 mm. Material examined. HCUS-S 0 60 (Hydrozoa Collection, University of Salento—fauna of the Salento Peninsula). Description (based on our own observations; Svoboda 1979 ; Svoboda & Cornelius 1991 ): Hydroid. Hydrorhiza as densely fused and anastomosing stolons; colonies erect; hydrocauli monosiphonic, basally with several transverse nodes and with 1–3 prosegments separated by oblique nodes, remaining parts composed of hydrocladia-bearing internodes, with 3 gutter-shaped nematothecae and a pseudonematotheca; hydrocladia closely alternate, cormidia separated by transverse nodes; hydrothecae narrowing basally, triangular, not deep (length/breadth at rim: 1.1–1.4), rim with 9 uniform cusps, adcauline septum in lower third of hydrothecal cavity well developed; median nematothecae 2/3 adnate, free end short almost reaching the hydrothecal rim, end of nematotheca usually curved outwards and reaching almost level to hydrothecal rim, lateral nematothecae small, apical part swollen, reaching hydrothecal rim; male corbula without free costae and usually partly open, female corbula usually closed, with one well developed free costa. Colours: hydrocauli yellowish to brown, hydrocladia transparent to yellowish, male corbula white, female corbula yellow. Cnidome. Basitrichous isorhizas, microbasic mastigophores. Habitat type . Wave-washed areas (depth range: 0–50 m ) ( Boero & Fresi 1986 ; Svoboda & Cornelius 1991 ). Substrate. Algae, rock, shells of Balanus and Mytilus , sponges, colonial ascidians and, locally, on Posidonia rhizomes. Seasonality. Throughout the year ( Svoboda & Cornelius 1991 ; De Vito 2006; this study). Reproductive period. In the western Mediterranean Sea from March to November ( Boero & Fresi 1986 ), April–June ( Roca 1986 ), March–April ( Stechow 1919 ), August–September ( Picard 1951b ), May (Gili 1986); in Salento waters (De Vito 2006; this study) throughout the year. Distribution. Northeastern Atlantic and Mediterranean ( Svoboda & Cornelius 1991 ; Ramil & Vervoort 1992; Medel & López-González 1996 ; Morri & Bianchi 1999; Morri et al. 1999; Ansín Agís et al. 2001 ; Peña Cantero & García Carrascosa 2002 ; Bouillon et al. 2004; Gravili et al. 2008a ; Morri et al . 2009 ; Puce et al . 2009; Bianchi et al . 2011 ; Soto Ãngel & Peña Cantero 2013 ). Records in Salento. Common at: Torre dell'Inserraglio ( Presicce 1991 ; Andreano 2007 ); Torre S. Emiliano, Marina di Corsano, Ponte del Ciolo, Il Chiapparo ( Presicce 1991 ; Miglietta et al . 2000 ); La Strea, Porto Cesareo ( Denitto 1996 ; Faucci & Boero 2000 ; Andreano 2007 ; Ventura 2011 ); Torre Lapillo, S.ta Caterina ( Andreano 2007 ); Grotta del Ciolo ( Moscatello & Belmonte 2007 ); Costa Merlata, Adriatic Apulian coast ( Fraschetti et al . 2002 ; Andreano 2007 ); Otranto ( Fraschetti et al . 2002 ; De Vito 2006; Gravili 2006; Andreano 2007 ; Gravili et al. 2008a ; Stabili et al. 2008 ; Ventura 2011 ; this study). Remarks: Aglaophenia octodonta is easy to distinguish from other species of the same genus occurring in shallow waters of the east and central Mediterranean Sea (for details see Svoboda & Cornelius 1991 ). References: Stechow (1919) , Picard (1958a) ; Riedl (1959) as A. pluma f. octodonta ; Rossi (1971) , Boero (1981c , 1985), García Carrascosa (1981) , Boero & Fresi (1986) , Roca (1986) , Ramil (1988) , Svoboda & Cornelius (1991) , Ramil & Vervoort (1992), Medel & Vervoort (1995) , Medel & López-González (1996) , Ansín Agís (1998), Morri & Bianchi (1999), Piraino et al. (1999) , Faucci & Boero (2000) , Miglietta et al . (2000) , Ansín Agís et al. (2001) , Fraschetti et al. (2002) , Peña Cantero & García Carrascosa (2002) , Bouillon et al. (2004), De Vito (2006), Gravili (2006), Moscatello & Belmonte (2007) , Gravili et al. (2008a) , Stabili et al. (2008) , Morri et al. (2009) , Puce et al. (2009), Bianchi et al. (2011) , Ventura (2011) .