Species of Acryptolaria Norman, 1875 (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa, Lafoeidae) collected in the Western Pacific by various French expeditions, with the description of nineteen new species Author Peña Cantero, Álvaro L. Instituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Universidad de Valencia / Fundación General, Universidad de Valencia, Apdo. Correos 22085, E- 46071 Valencia (Spain) alvaro. l. pena @ uv. es pena@uv.es Author Vervoort, Willem National Museum of Natural History, P. O. Box 9517, NL- 2300 RA Leiden (The Netherlands) vervoort @ naturalis. nnm. nl text Zoosystema 2010 2010-06-30 32 2 267 332 http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.5252/z2010n2a5 journal article 8099 10.5252/z2010n2a5 f76e17a3-3bc3-43a8-ae33-6655aba3fa57 1638-9387 4521008 Acryptolaria pseudoangulata n. sp. ( Figs 24 ; 30 ; 32G ; Table 25 ) TYPE MATERIAL . — NW New Caledonia . MUSORSTOM 4, stn CP 217, 23°03.6’S , 167°27.0’E , 850 m , 29.IX.1985 , many stems up to 30 mm high, with coppinia (5 c. 25 mm high stems with coppinia from communal stolonal mass, holotype , MNHN-Hy.2009-0171; several stems on gorgonid, paratype , RMNH-Coel. no. 31524; several stems on gorgonid, paratype , MNCN 2.03 /431) . OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED . — NW New Caledonia . MUSORSTOM 4, stn CP 180, 18°56.8’S , 163°17.7’E , 450 m , 18.IX.1985 , 1 fragment c. 12 mm long (MNHN-Hy.2009-0213). — Stn CP 194, 18°52.8’S , 163°21.7’E , 550 m , 19.IX.1985 , many stems up to 40 mm high, on sponge (RMNH-Coel. no. 31525). Loyalty Islands . BIOGEOCAL, stn CP 297, 20°38.64’- 20°38.67’S , 167°10.77’- 167°11.07’E , 1230-1240 m , 28.IV.1987 , 6 stems up to 100 mm high, on coral (MNHN-Hy.2009-0208). — Stn DW 307, 20°35.38’- 20°35.32’S , 166°55.25’- 166°55.33’E , 470-480 m , 1.V.1987 , 1 fragment c. 11 mm long (MNHN-Hy.2009- 0209). Norfolk Ridge. BIOCAL 1, stn DW 36, 23°08.647’- 23°08.900’S , 167°10.994’- 167°11.296’E , 650-680 m , 29.VIII.1985 , 6 stems up to 25 mm high, on coral (MNCN 2.03/432). — Stn DW 66, 24°55.435’- 24°54.849’S , 168°21.678’- 168°21.995’E , 515- 505 m , 3.IX.1985 , a few stems up to 23 mm high, on coral (MNHN-Hy.2009-0210). — Stn DW 70, 23°24.700’- 23°25.650’S , 167°53.650’- 167°52.700’E , 965 m , 4.IX.1985 , 1 stem c. 29 mm high (MNCN 2.03/433). SMIB 4, stn DW 36, 24°55.6’- 24°54.9’S , 168°21.7’- 168°21.7’E , 500-530 m , 7.III.1989 , 1 fragment c. 13 mm long and 2 stems up to 24 mm (MNHN-Hy.2009- 0211). — Stn DW 37, 24°54.5’- 24°53.9’S , 168°22.3’- 168°21.5’E , 515-540 m , 7.III.1989 , 4 stems up to 21 mm high, on coral (MNCN 2.03/434). — Stn DW 39, 24°56.2’- 24°55.4’S , 168°21.5’- 168°21.5’E , 525-560 m , 7.III.1989 , 5 stems up to 25 mm high (RMNH-Coel. no. 31526). Chesterfield Islands. MUSORSTOM 5, stn CP 293, 23°09.35’S , 159°30.80’E , 280 m , 11.X.1986 , 1 stem c. 12 mm high (RMNH-Coel. no. 35441, slide 1687). ETYMOLOGY. — The specific name pseudoangulata refers to the fact that in this species the shape of the hydrothecae reminds that of A. angulata ; the species name is an adjective corresponding in gender with the (feminine) genus name. ECOLOGY AND DISTRIBUTION. — Acryptolaria pseudoangulata n. sp. seems to be a bathyal species, having been collected at depths between 280 and 1240 m . It was found at the Chesterfield Islands , at the Loyalty Islands , in the Norfolk Rigde area and off NW New Caledonia . It lives epibiotic on coral and sponges. Coppinia was found in September. DESCRIPTION Stems up to 100 mm high, but usually much smaller ( Fig. 32G ). Branching irregular but approximately in one plane. Degree of branching variable, from scarcely branched stems with just a few primary branches to abundantly branched stems with up to third-order branches. Branches slightly geniculate ( Fig. 24A ), sometimes with anastomoses. Hydrothecae approximately in one plane ( Fig. 24A, B ) and with a double curvature ( Fig. 24 A-D): strongly curved outwards where they become free, being roughly perpendicular to adnate portion, and then curving markedly upwards; some of the longer hydrothecae may present a third slight outward bend ( Fig. 24D ). Hydrothecal diameter increasing distally in free part; maximum diameter at aperture, minimal diameter at base and at the point where the hydrotheca becomes free. Hydrotheca adnate for less than half of its adcauline length (adnate/free ratio 0.9). Adnate part of adcauline wall convex or with a shallow invagination in the middle of its length. Abcauline wall straight or convex in its basal part; after the inflection point, first convex and then straight. Hydrothecal aperture circular, oblique and directed upwards, forming an angle of c. 40° with long axis of branch. Hydrotheca usually with a few renovations ( Fig. 24A, B, D ). FIG. 24. — Acryptolaria pseudoangulata n. sp. : A , branch fragment showing hydrothecal arrangement; B -D , hydrothecae; E , part of coppinia showing gonothecae and fence of protective tubes; A , B , E , from MUSORSTOM 4 stn CP 217; C , from BIOGEOCAL stn DW 307; D , from BIOCAL 1 stn DW 70. Scale bar: A, 600 μm; B-E, 250 μm. TABLE 25. — Measurements of Acryptolaria pseudoangulata n. sp. from the holotype (in μm). Nematocysts from several stations.

Range	Mean ± SD (n)
Hydrothecae
Length of abcauline wall	1100-1450	1291.1 ± 90.7 (9)
Length of adcauline wall	1200-1460	1355.6 ± 72.3 (9)
Length of free adcauline wall	640-780	714.4 ± 48.6 (9)
Length of adnate adcauline wall	560-680	641.1 ± 36.3 (9)
Ratio adnate/free adcauline wall	0.8-1.0	0.9 ± 0.1 (9)
Diameter at aperture	220-240	230.6 ± 10.1 (9)
Gonothecae
Maximum diameter	c. 100
Length of funnel	c. 20
Diameter at aperture	60-70
Nematocysts
Larger group	9-12 × 3-5	10.7 ± 1.0 × 4.0 ± 0.8 (11)
Ratio	2.0-4.0	2.8 ± 0.6 (11)
Smaller group	6-8.5 × 2-3

TABLE 26. — Measurements of Acryptolaria pseudoundulata n. sp. from the holotype (in μm).

Range	Mean ± SD (n)
Hydrothecae
Length of abcauline wall	1250-1350	1311.1 ± 31.0 (9)
Length of adcauline wall	1500-1650	1571.1 ± 44.3 (9)
Length of free adcauline wall	670-800	762.2 ± 46.0 (9)
Length of adnate adcauline wall	750-860	808.9 ± 34.1 (9)
Ratio adnate/free adcauline wall	0.9-1.2	1.1 ± 0.1 (9)
Diameter at aperture	250-300	268.9 ± 16.9 (9)
Nematocysts
Larger group	26-28 × 10-12	27.2 ± 1.0 × 10.7 ± 1.2 (3)
Ratio	2.3-2.8	2.6 ± 0.2 (3)
Smaller group	7-8 × 3.5-4.5

Large nematocysts relatively very small and ovoid ( Fig. 30 ). Gonothecae set into a coppinia with an external fence of defensive tubes forming a distally closed, onion-shaped protective structure. Gonothecae set close together ( Fig. 24E ) in the basal part of the coppinia, but also ascending on part of the defensive tubes ( Fig. 24E ). Gonothecae long and thin, with an unconspicuous distal neck with a circular aperture. Planulae completing development outside gonothecae, in the breeding chamber formed by defensive tubes. REMARKS Acryptolaria pseudoangulata n. sp. comes close to A. angulata in the general shape of the hydrothecae, but a detailed examination shows that they are different since in A. pseudoangulata n. sp. the hydrotheca lacks the characteristic invagination of the adnate adcauline wall present in A. angulata . Moreover, in the latter the branches are straight, the nematocysts are larger (15.9 × 8.6 µm ) and the hydrothecae are adnate for half of the adcauline length or more. Both species also differ in the structure of the coppinia because in A. angulata the coppinia is deprived of defensive tubes, whereas in A. pseudoangulata n. sp. there are defensive tubes forming a protective envelope. Acryptolaria pseudoangulata n. sp. is also similar to A. rectangularis ( Jarvis, 1922 ) . Unfortunately, Jarvis’s species is poorly known and there is no information concerning the cnidome, which makes it difficult to assign additional specimens to this species. Peña Cantero et al. (2007) could not examine type material of this species whose location, according to Vervoort & Watson (2003) , is unknown. Anyway, Peña Cantero et al. (2007) provided a lengthy discussion of Jarvis’s species and of the related A. angulata and A. bulbosa . Acryptolaria pseudoangulata n. sp. resembles A. rectangularis in the general shape of the hydrothecae, but we believe they are different species unless the redescription of the unlocated type material of the latter proves the contrary. According to Jarvis’s (1922) figures, the branches have a distinct zigzag arrangement, whereas in A. pseudoangulata n. sp. the branches only are slightly geniculate or straight. Jarvis (1922) , when comparing its species with A. angulata , made it clear that A. rectangularis is characterized by “the straightness of the upper wall of the hydrotheca in its divergent portion”. In A. pseudoangulata n. sp. the hydrotheca has a double curvature, being strongly curved outwards where it becomes free of the axis, where it is roughly perpendicular to the adnate portion (just as in A. rectangularis ), but farther on it is markedly bent upwards (contrary to the “straightness” of A. rectangularis ). Moreover, some longer hydrothecae may even present a third slight bend outwards ( Fig. 24D ). In addition, the hydrothecae are much longer in A. pseudoangulata n. sp. In A. rectangularis the diameter at the adnate part of the hydrotheca gradually disminishes basally, being almost fusiform, but that diameter distinctly increases in the basal, adnate part of the hydrotheca of A. pseudoangulata n. sp. past a narrowed part of variable extension, which forms a slight concavity (cf. Fig. 24C, D ); later the diameter sharply decreases again at the hydrothecal base.