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 bathyalis n. sp. ( Figs 2 ; 30 ; 31B ; Table 3 ) TYPE MATERIAL . — Loyalty Islands . MUSORSTOM 6, stn CP 419, 20°41.65’S , 167°03.70’E , 283 m , 16.II.1989 , 1 stem c. 70 mm high, holotype (MNHN-Hy.2009- 0158); several fragments up to 25 mm long, paratype (RMNH-Coel. no. 31499) and 2 slides, paratypes (MNHN-Hy.2009-0147 and RMNH Coel. no. 35167 slide 734) . OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED . — Loyalty Islands . BIOCAL 1, stn DW 82, 20°30.658’- 20°30.888’S , 167°50.308’- 167°50.367’E , 440-460 m , 6.IX.1985 , 3 stems up to 36 mm high ( MNCN 2.03 /407) ; 1 stem c. 26 mm high in slide ( MNCN 2.03 /392) . MUSORSTOM 6, stn CP 415, 20°40.20’S , 167°03.95’E , 461 m , 15.II.1989 , 1 stem c. 45 mm high (RMNH-Coel. no. 31498) and 1 stem c. 35 mm high (RMNH-Coel. no 35113, slide 675). — Stn CP 464, 21°02.30’S , 167°31.60’E , 430 m , 21.II.1989 , 1 stem c. 22 mm high (MNCN 2.03/408). SE New Caledonia . MUSORSTOM 4, stn CP 237, 22°12.0’S , 167°16.5’E , 630 m , 2.X.1985 , a few stems up to 22 mm high, on axis of gorgonian ( MNCN 2.03/409). ETYMOLOGY. — The specific name bathyalis , from the Greek “bathos” = deep, refers to the depths at which the species was found; it is an adjective following the genus name in gender. ECOLOGY AND DISTRIBUTION. — Acryptolaria bathyalis n. sp. was found at depths between 283 and 630 m ; one colony was attached to the axis of a gorgonian. It has been collected at the Loyalty Islands and SE of New Caledonia . DESCRIPTION Stems up to 70 mm high. Branching frequent, at least 5th order branches present ( Fig. 31B ). Branching irregular in several planes, occasionally in one plane; with anastomoses. Branches straight, long and thin; with exception of basal part of stem, perisarc of branches little developed ( Fig. 2A, C, E ). FIG. 2. — Acryptolaria bathyalis n. sp. : A , C , E , branch fragments showing hydrothecal arrangement; B , D , F , hydrothecae; A , B , from MUSORSTOM 6 stn CP 419; C , D , from MUSORSTOM 6 stn CP 415; E , F , from BIOCAL 1 stn DW 82. Scale bar: A, C, E, 600 μm; B, D, F, 250 μm. Hydrothecae alternately arranged in approximately one plane ( Fig. 2A, C, E ), cylindrical ( Fig. 2 ), with a constant diameter throughout, only decreasing at their base. Hydrotheca curved outwards at distal half; basal half of abcauline hydrothecal wall parallel to branch. Adcauline wall adnate to internode in about four-fifths (adnate/free ratio 3.8). Adcauline wall convex throughout; abcauline wall completely concave or straight at basal half.Hydrothecal aperture circular and outwards directed, roughly parallel to long axis of branches. Rim even, sometimes with short renovations. Large nematocysts relatively large and fusiform ( Fig. 30 ). Coppinia not found. REMARKS Acryptolaria bathyalis n. sp. is characterized by the cylindrical hydrothecae and the soft, long and straight branches. It is allied to Acryptolaria abies in having straight branches and in the shape and size of the hydrothecae, though the latter has a larger part of the adcauline wall free. They are clearly distinguishable by the size of the nematocysts (11.2 × 4.6 µm in the lectotype of A. abies ).