HYDROIDS OP BEAUFORT, NORTH CAROWNA. 



345 



p. 25. Brooks, Mem. Boston Soc. Kat. Hist.. 1886, p. 388. 



Turritopsis nutricula McCrady. 



Oceania nutricula McCrady. Proc. Elliott Soc. 1856. p. 1-56. 

 Turrilopsis nutricuia McCrady, G>-innoph. Charleston Har.. 1857 

 Mayer, Hydromedusse, vol. 1, 1910, p. J4j. 



Trophosome. — Mattire colony slightly branched, each branch bearing a single hydranth. Perisarc 

 thick, ending abruptly immediately below the hydranth. Proboscis clavate, elongated. Tentacles 

 arranged in a series of somewhat regular rows. 



Gonosome. — Gonophores, each giving rise to a single medusa, appear on short pedicels at the base 

 of the hydranth. Each medusa bud is invested with perisarc. At the time of liberation the medusa 

 has eight tentacles, but the number is greatly increased later. The 

 mature medusa has a quadrate stomach and a four-lipped mouth. 



Color. — Pale yellowish red. 



Distribution. — At low water on piles of the Norfolk Southern railway 

 bridge at different points between Morehead City and Beaufort; in Bogue 

 Sound 10 feet; on piles for the boathouse for the life saving station at Cape 

 Lookout. 



Dr. W. K. Brooks made an exhaustive study of this species while 

 pursuing investigations in this locality. He found the medusae in large 

 numbers but was not so successful with the hydroids, as he foxmd them 

 at one point only, viz, the steamboat wharf at Morehead City. The 

 specimens obtained in this collection were by no means numerous, 

 although they were obtained from several different points. At all these 

 points, however, the conditions were much similar to those at Morehead 

 City wharf. Many of the specimens were unbranched and hence were 

 probably young colonies, at which time they resemble tlie figures given 

 by Hincks of Tunis neglecta Lesson. \'ery few of them had developing 

 medusae present. Those specimens found at Cape Lookout had a peculiar 

 appearance. Either they were growing through a sponge so that little 

 more than the hydranths were showing outside, or, as is more likel}-, the 

 sponge was growing up around the hydroid colony as far as the perisarc 

 reached, because the hydroid colony had begun to grow on the living 

 sponge. The sponge was semitransparent so that the colony could readily 

 be traced as it appeared within. 



Though no special medusa collecting was attempted, on September 4 

 I was fortunate enough to get a large number of mattirc medusa; of this 

 species in the large chamber of the crab float at the United States Btu-eau 

 of Fisheries wharf. At other times I saw an occasional one at the same 

 place but at no other time did they appear so plentiful. 



Brooks, and later Mayer, in describing the hydroid of this species, speaks of it as being a Dendroclava 

 much similar to the species described by Weismann as Dendroclava dohrnii.'^ Weismann, in giving the 

 original description of this genus, mentions the fact that it differs from the Claiidce in general, in having 

 gonophores that produce free medusae. I prefer to follow Allman in making that a family difference. 

 For that reason I have retained the generic name Turrilopsis which has been applied to the medusa 

 and have placed the genus in the family Turridae. 



Family SYNCORYNID,€. 



Trophosome. — Hydranths with no filiform tentacles; capitate tentacles numerous with little regu- 

 larity of arrangement. 



Gonosome. — Gonophores borne on the hydranth among or near the proximal tentacles, give rise 

 to free medusa with four radial canals and four tentacles, some or all of which may be rudimentary. 



Fig. I- — TurriUipsis nutricula M^ 

 Crady. A. mature colony with 

 gonosome; B. young colony. 



o Enstehung Sexualzellen bei Hydromedusen. 1888. p. 36. 315. 



