Names of hydroids (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa) established by Charles McLean Fraser (1872 - 1946), excluding those from Allan Hancock Expeditions
Author
Calder, Dale R.
Author
Choong, Henry H. C.
text
Zootaxa
2018
2018-10-02
4487
1
1
83
journal article
29136
10.11646/zootaxa.4487.1.1
939f52d6-d58b-4a22-8aec-dd5c6a591067
1175-5326
1456161
524B23B9-8EAA-4BD6-8937-A1B8F1C057B9
Ectopleura grandis
Fraser, 1944a
Ectopleura grandis
Fraser, 1944a
: 92
, pl. 15, figs. 66a, b.
Syntypes
:
AMNH 3253
:
USA
,
Louisiana
,
East Bay
,
May 1930
, several colonies and colony fragments, some with and some without hydranths, up to
5 cm
high, in marginally fair to poor condition, a few hydranths with developing gonophores, coll.
M. Burkenroad
; formalin, now in ethanol.
AMNH 3258
:
USA
,
Louisiana
,
Imbale Bay
,
15 April 1930
, several (>10) stem fragments without hydranths, up to
12 mm
high, with some stolons on seagrass, without gonophores, coll.
M. Burkenroad
; formalin, now in ethanol.
Lectotype
, by present designation.
AMNH 3253
:
USA
,
Louisiana
,
East Bay
,
May 1930
, one colony, branched eight times, about
5 cm
high when straightened, in marginally fair condition, with 4 hydranths, without gonophores, coll.
M. Burkenroad
; formalin, now in ethanol.
Paralectotypes
.
AMNH 3258
:
USA
,
Louisiana
,
Imbale Bay
,
15 April 1930
, several (>10) stem fragments without hydranths, up to
12 mm
high, with some stolons on seagrass, without gonophores, coll.
M. Burkenroad
; formalin, now in ethanol.
AMNH
_
IZC
250227
:
USA
,
Louisiana
,
East Bay
,
May 1930
, several colonies and colony fragments, some with and some without hydranths, up to
3.5 cm
high, in marginally fair to poor condition, a few hydranths with developing gonophores, coll. M. Burkenroad; formalin, now in ethanol.
Type
locality.
USA
,
Louisiana
:
East Bay
(
Fraser 1944a
).
Current status.
Valid.
Remarks.
Ectopleura grandis
was founded by
Fraser (1944a)
for hydroids from Barataria Bay, Imbale Bay, and East Bay,
Louisiana
. Although no
types
of the species were designated in the original account, specimens of the
type
series exist at the AMNH, with one sample (AMNH 3253: East Bay) listed in the online database of the museum as the
holotype
and another (AMNH 3258: Imbale Bay) as a
paratype
. We regard both as
syntypes
here, under provisions of the Code (ICZN Art. 72.4.7). Arai (1977) also listed the species as part of the Fraser Hydroid Collection at the RBCM (BCPM 976-00144-001: Barataria Bay,
25 May 1931
). However, it is not currently listed in the online catalogue of the museum, and is now missing from the collection.
No
other
types
of the species were located in online databases of the NMNH, CAS, RBCM, MCZ and YPM.
After examining the
syntypes
listed above, a single colony was selected as the
lectotype
and returned to its vial (AMNH 3253). Other colonies and colony fragments from the same vial were removed to a separate vial, assigned a new collection number (AMNH_IZC
250227
), and included in the
paralectotype
series. The
lectotype
colony is the best preserved of all the
type
specimens, although its four hydranths lack gonophores. A few hydranths in one of the
paralectotype
collections (AMNH_IZC
250227
) have developing gonophores, but their trophosomes show fewer characters of the species overall. None of the examined hydranths were as large as indicated by
Fraser (1944a
: pl. 15, fig. 66a). The
type
locality of
Ectopleura grandis
is restricted here to East Bay,
Louisiana
,
USA
, following designation of a
lectotype
.
Ectopleura grandis
has been considered a valid species in works such as
Deevey (1950)
,
Defenbaugh & Hopkins (1973)
,
Petersen (1990)
,
Cairns
et al
. (2002)
,
Bouillon
et al
. (2006)
,
Calder & Cairns (2009)
, and WoRMS. According to
Deevey (1950)
, the hydroid is decidedly more robust than that of
E. dumortierii
(
Van Beneden, 1844
)
, yet it possesses fewer tentacles (proximal and distal tentacles each ca. 14–16) when nearly mature (
Fraser 1944a
). Of note, however,
type
specimens examined here were less robust than typical hydroids of
E. dumortierii
from Chesapeake Bay (
Calder 1971
). Meanwhile, stems of
E. grandis
in AMNH collections were much more branched than indicated in the original description by
Fraser (1944a)
. The species is still inadequately known, and knowledge of its life cycle is incomplete.