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Anthomedusae Hydroids
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Masses of hydroids adorn many of the offshore wrecks, mixed in with anemones, sponges, mussels, coral, and algae. Hydroids are the most primitive Cnidarians, closely related to Hydromedusae, and display the most even split between the sessile polyp stages and free-swimming medusa stages, which are quite small and common. However even if they pose no danger to humans and most fishes , they can be fatal to many small fishes ( inasmuch as to small seahorse species like the dwarf and pigmy seahorses) and their growth can be irritating and repressive for corals.
Their success explains why there is a great number of species under the Anthomedusae (one of which is presented here) order and a vast number under their class which has led to many taxonomic problems.
Here the medusa stage of one such organism is presented, which was found in my aquarium. As already mentioned Anthomedusae Hydroids have a very wird life cycle as depicted in this diagram
www.palaeos.com
The medusa that was found in my aquarium was a hydroid of the Cladonematidae family taxonomized in this order
Class: |
Hydrozoa |
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Subclass : |
Leptolinae |
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Order : |
Anthomedusae |
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Suborder : |
Capitata |
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Family : |
Cladonematidae |
The photos are taken with a Bresser's Biolux Al microscope under 100-200X magnification.
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Click HERE to watch a live Hydroid
For more information you can visit the Hydrozoa Directory of Museum Geneve
A.A.
Sources :
www.palaeos.com
www.ville-ge.ch
www.njscuba.net