170 



HYDR01DA II 



"Thor" 64°02' N., 22°33' W., depth 34 metres 



— 63°30' N., 20 14' W., — 80 — I labelled Laomedea Loveni\ 

 Greenland: Proven (depth not stated) 



Umanak ( — - — ) 



Christianshaab ( — - — ) |labelled Gonothyrcea Loveni] 

 Egedesminde ( — - — ) | labelled Gonothyroza Loveni and Obelia longissima] 

 Store Hellefiskebanke, depth 32 fathoms 

 Sukkertoppen, on Psoitis and Boltenia (depth not stated) 



(depth not stated) | labelled Obelia longissima], 

 Iceland: Hvalfjord, depth 22 fathoms. 



The Faroe Islands: without further details | labelled Gonot/iyrtra Loveni] 

 6 miles N. by W. of Store Kalso, depth 60 fathoms 

 Deep hole at north point of Nolso, — 100 — 



Laomedea hyalina is very closely allied to the Laomedea Loveni Allman, so much so that the 

 two species have very often been confused. The characteristic distinctive marks of Laomedea Jiyalina 

 are the fine narrow furrows running from the teeth some way down over the side of the hydrotheca, 

 often giving the teeth themselves a double point. Nutting (1901 p. 352) mentioned intermediate 

 forms between the two species from Plymouth; as however, the furrows in question are not noted by 

 Nutting in the American waters, it is doubtful which of the species he has here been investigating. 

 Probably all his specimens were typical Laomedea Loveni. 



Laomedea hyalina must, from the data on record, be characterised as an arctic boreal, atlantic 

 species. Its true home appears to lie at the transition between boreal and truly arctic regions, and 

 from there it extends both north and south, everywhere within the upper third of the littoral region. 

 Kramp (1914 p. 1071) notes the species as circumpolar, citing in evidence Clark (1876 p. 215) who 

 mentions a Gonothyrcea hyalina from Alaska. Mark tanner-Tu rneretscher however, (1S95 p. 408) 

 has pointed out that Clark's specimens represent the' type of a distinct species, Laomedea Clarki 

 (Marktauner-Turneretscher). The validity of the species may seem somewhat doubtful, and it is highly 

 probable that Kramp is correct in his geographical characterisation, but new and conscientious in- 

 vestigations in American waters will be needed before we can be fully certain. Laomedea hyalina is 

 widely distributed within the waters investigated (fig. LXXXVII). It is surprising to find that a 

 species having so wide a distribution in the arctic regions appears to be altogether lacking i East 

 Greenland waters; it is otherwise of general occurrence within the area concerned, but becomes less 

 frequent around the British Isles and off the southern west coast of Norway. 



Laomedea gracilis M. Sars. 

 1851 Laomedea gracilis, M. Sars, Beretning om en i Sommeren 1849 foretagen zoologisk Rejse, p. 138. 

 1868 Gonothyrcea gracilis, Hincks, A History of the British Hydroid Zoophytes, p. 183, pi. 36, fig. 1. 



Upright colonies, slightly and irregularly branched, finely and stiffly built. There are no 

 distinctly prominent apophyses, but the branches and hydrotheca stalks proceed from a faintly marked 



