Hydroids of the Canadian Arctic Expedition, 1913-18. 



By C. McLean Feasee 



The number of hydroids collected by the Canadian Arctic Expedition was 

 not large, but along with this collection Mr. Frits Johansen sent some that he 

 collected in Hudson Bay in August, 1920, and some collected at other times, 

 that were found in the Victoria Memorial Museum, Ottawa. 



Taken altogether, the collection, although not large, is quite interesting, 

 and as it is all from the northern and arctic regions, it is considered in the one 

 report. The largest portion came from Richmond gulf, east coast of Hudson 

 bay, where 17 out of a total of 25 marine species were obtained. 



The species represented give support to the distribution theory advanced 

 on previous occasions, i.e. that most of the hydroids of the north temperate seas, 

 in all the families, with the exception of the Plumularidse, which, in any case, 

 is not well represented, have had their origin in some Arctic centre from which 

 there has been a circumpolar distribution and from this distribution, southward 

 along each coast of each continent. 



No new species has appeared in the collection. Of the 25 marine species 

 obtained, Abietinaria greenei was found only in the Bering sea near the Aleutian 

 islands. Previously, it had not been reported farther north than Vancouver 

 island. Of the remaining 24, only one species had hitherto been found in the 

 Pacific, and not to the eastward. This was Hydractinia Icevispina, obtained from 

 Gabriola pass (20 miles from the Biological Station, Nanaimo, B.C.) in 1921, 

 and just described as a new species. If time of collecting were considered, 

 Bernard harbour would be the original locality. 



The only species reported farther east and not in the Pacific are Gonothyrosa 

 loveni, Halecium beani and Selaginopsis alternitheca. The first two are common 

 species on the eastern Canadian coasts, as well as in European waters, and they 

 have not appeared so very far afield since the former was collected in Hudson 

 strait and the latter in Hudson bay. Selaginopsis alternitheca was first reported 

 from Davis strait. The only other appearance until now was in some material 

 collected near Cheticamp, Cape Breton, in 1917. 



A table will show the comparative distribution. The Arctic refers largely 

 to the European Arctic, although it includes the Greenland area as well. 



Besides the marine material, some specimens of Hydra were collected by 

 Mr. Johansen, but they were not in good enough condition for classification. 

 Some of them were obtained in a creek at Bernard harbour, Dolphin and Union 

 strait, August 6, 1915. Johansen's record is as follows: "Attached to the 

 underside of stones in the streaming water were many (fully outstretched ca. 

 15 mm. long) Hydra species of the following colour: suctorial disc at hind end, 

 pale rosa; this colour getting first paler but afterwards increasing in intensity 

 forwards; front end, strongly rosa; the 8 tentacles, pale." 



Some other specimens -were obtained at Konganevik, Alaskan coast, but 

 they were not kept, and the particulars are meagre. His note is as follows: 

 "June 25, 1914. Konganevik (Camden bay), Alaskan arctic coast. In a tundra 



