Art. XLII.—Notes on the New Zealand Hydroideæ.

By Millen coughtrey.

Sertularia simplex, Hutton, loc. cit.

Hydrophyton small. “Hydrocaulis short, simple or rarely branched, erect; pale yellowish brown. Hydrothecæ distant, alternate, ovate; aperture sinuated. Gonangia ovate, transversely wrinkled with a toothed crown.”

To Captain Hutton's description I would add the following:—Hydrocaulis twisted between each hydrotheca, and the oblique joint is nearest to the proximal hydrotheca. Hydrothecæ large, swollen at base, mouth quadri-dentate, teeth diagonally placed, outer and inner ones more acute than lateral ones. Gonangia very indistinctly transversely wrinkled, the most distinct one being that which separates the body of gonangium from the neck.

I have not the least doubt that this species is the New Zealand representative of Sertularia polyzonias of Linnæus. The largest specimen I have seen is Captain Hutton's type specimen, but I have gathered innumerable dwarf specimens on the Timaru beach, around Tairoa Head, Otago, and attached to the roots of washed-up Laminarians on the Ocean Beach, and these have exhibited considerable variety. Thus fig. 8 indicates the type specimen; fig. 9 shows the characters of a very common variety I got at Timaru and on the Ocean Beach, in which the faint shallow grooves, generally three in number, that cross the hydrothecæ are well seen; fig. 10 exhibits a marked variety that I got at Tairoa Head. It is remarkably like variety c figured by Dr. Johnston (loc. cit., Vol. I., p. 62), and presents almost distinct enough characters to form a separate species, but beyond the difference in the hydrothecæ, it agrees both in form and habit with Sertularia simplex.

Captain Hutton obtained his type specimen in Lyall Bay, so that this must be a very widely distributed species. I ought to add I have found variety (fig. 10) also at Tairoa Head and other places. Figs. 8—11.

Sertularia ramulosa, sp. nov.

S. fasciculata, Coughtrey (M.SS.) ^*

Hydrophyton creeping, several twisting around one another to form bushy tufts. Colour pale yellow.

Hydrocaulis delicate and flexuous, it and branches jointed; branchlets mostly from one side of rachis or the branches, dividing dichotomously in a sub-fasciculate manner, or in a loose racemose arrangement.

Hydrothecæ opposite a joint between each pair but nearest to the proximal pair, semi-adnate, lip oblique, and toothed, teeth two, almost lateral, one much larger than the other.

Gonangia obovate, pedicellate, attached to the open angle between hydrothecæ and ramus, smooth with a distinct neck, and mouth entire.

Hydrorhiza indistinct.

Habitat.—Chiefly in upper harbour, Dunedin, festooned from rock to rock, or between branches of a dead floating tree. A few scattered specimens on Timaru beach. Figs. 12 and 13.

Sertularia trispinosa, sp. nov.

Hydrophyton bushy, not creeping, arising in tufts from a spongy-looking hydrorhiza.

Hydrocaulis very delicate, pale silvery yellow, dichotomously branched, and subdivided.

Hydrothecæ opposite, distant, tubular, lip oblique, toothed, teeth three, one internal, other two external and lateral, of latter one much larger than the other.

Gonangia obovate, sessile, smooth, with a small process on each side near the top; a short neck.

Habitat—According to variety.

I hesitated for some time before founding this species, since it resembles in so many respects S. ramulosa and S. bispinosa, indeed it is remarkably intermediate between these two species. An ordinary observer seeing one of these varieties on the beach, rolled up in the way it is generally found, would be very apt to mistake it for S. ramulosa, and its colour and delicate nature would further assist in the deception. The opposite cells, the inequality of the lateral teeth, and the difficulty there is in defining the internal tooth, also simulates S. ramulosa.

In the acuteness of the teeth, in the form of the gonangia, in its general habit, and in the absence of parasitical polyzoa, it resembles a very lax and delicate form of S. bispinosa. I have got large quantities of this variety, and have noted, wherever I found it, absence of polyzoa, and large number of gonangia it bears. This variety is attached to delicate shells, also rarely in single tufts to stems of Boltenias.—Variety a.

Variety b is never so long and lax as var. a; more brown in colour; equally free from polyzoa, and rarely has gonangia, the branchlets generally lean to one side and close somewhat like a Plumularian. Figs. 14 and 15, a and b.

Sertularia bispinosa, Hutton.

Dynamene bispinosa, Gray.

“Hydrophyton long, lax, and strong. Hydrocaulis sparingly dichotomously branched, pale brown.”

“Hydrothecæ opposite, tubular; aperture obliquely truncated and with two strong teeth on the outside. Gonangia urceolate, smooth, with a small tooth on each side at the top.

“Habitat.—Lyall Bay (F.W.H.), on shells, etc., abundant.” Very widely distributed. (M.C.)

The gonangia of this species are variable as regards the teeth. Some have no teeth, others have asymmetrical teeth—thus the tooth will be well developed on one side, whilst on the opposite it will be simply a slight mammilloid elevation; others again have well marked teeth. Figs. 16, 17, and 19.

Sertularia abietinoides, Hutton.

Dynamene abietinoides, Gray.

“Hydrophyton erect. Hydrocaulis pinnately branched; pale brown. Hydrothecæ crowded, sub-opposite, tubular, slightly incurved; aperture surrounded with about five acute teeth. Gonangia urceolate, smooth, with a long blunt process (tooth) on each side at the top.

“Habitat.—Lyall Bay (F.W.H.) Abundant.” Very widely distributed; attached to sponges, stones, shells, and peduncles of Boltenias. (M.C.)

To this excellent description I would add:—The hydrorhiza consists of an open fibrous network which spreads itself over the object to which hydrophyton is attached, and gives off from its upper surface the branches whose general appearance is like a bunch of open feathers. The gonangia are generally found in clusters at the lower part of the branches. In some specimens the branches throughout are short and simply pinnate, in others they are long and bipinnately divided; in the latter the hydrophyton has a lax and pretty appearance.

Apertures of hydrothecæ generally average six teeth. (Figs. 18—20, and 16.)

Sertularia fusiformis, Hutton, loc. cit.

“Hydrophyton lax. Hydrocaulis simple or sparingly branched, rather large. Hydrothecæ alternate, rather close, long; aperture obliquely truncated, and with two round teeth on outer side. Gonangia fusiform, large, smooth, pointed at the apex.”

I would add to the above:—Hydrothecæ with tumid inverted lips. Gonangia with a marked spathulate bar or crest along its outer side.

Habitat.—Lyall Bay. On Fuci very common. (F.W.H.) Figs. 21—23.

Genus Synthecium, Allman.

Chief generic characters.—Hydrothecæ sessile and opposite or decussate, inner faces of each pair nearly joined together, being only separated by a thin film of cænosarc, a marked joint between each pair.

This genus was founded by Professor Allman on a remarkable specimen in Mr. Busk's collection, and this specimen he named Syntecium elegans. I prefer at present to give Professor Allman's own words:—

hydrothecæ; constricted between each pair of hydrothecæ, and then swelling gracefully out to support the next pair, giving the appearance of the lower half of body of a vase and the constricted neck of pedestal supporting it. A small cone-like projection can be seen through the clutine rising from each constricted portion of the branch into centre of body of vase-like portion, which supports the hydrothecæ.

Hydrothecæ in pairs which are distant, opposite, synthecious, tubular, smooth, curved outwards, mouth oblique so that the inner side is lowest, bidentate, teeth acute and unequal in size, largest one external, smallest one internal to the other and lateral.

Gonosomic elements very distinct, one only to each hydrocaulis and proximal in position, coming from hydrocaulis close to the most proximal pair of hydrothecæ subsessile, general form ovate, but flattened so that if looked at in a certain position they have a narrower character than in another position. Without a neck or crown, mouth entire but lips tumid.

Allied to Synthecium elegans.

Found on very delicate seaweeds after a severe storm on beach at Timaru, also on Ocean Beach; but rare. (M.C.)

Some are more gelatinous than others, and in a specimen I gathered on the Ocean Beach, Dunedin, 22nd July, 1874, I noticed that the hydrothecæ ensheath the hydrocaulis, so that at different foci they seem more or less separated. In this specimen also the constricted portion of the hydrocaulis is quite different to the one I first discovered on Timaru beach, having a beadlike joint (see figs. 26 and 27); and the whole hydrophyton was of a more delicate nature, so that there may be said to be two varieties of Synthecium gracilis.

I ought also to add that the hydrothecæ in Timaru specimens are more exsertile than those in Ocean Beach specimens.

The typical characters of the hydrorhiza when magnified are well displayed in fig. 28. Figs. 26—31.

Genus Thuiaria, Fleming.

"Hydrosoma variously branched. Hydrothecæ biserial, adnate or imbedded in the substance of the stem and branches.”

Thuiaria sub-articulata, sp. nov.

T. articulata, Hutton nec Johnston.

Hydrophyton strong, erect, about four inches in height; colour brown. Hydrocaulis thick, pinnately branched, main branches radical or nearly so, pinnæ sub-opposite.

Rachis and branches clothed with a fibrous network, fibres of which spread from hydrorhyza and open out over the object to which the hydrophyton

is attached sending branches upwards at intervals and many anchoring threads downwards.

Hydrothecæ sub-opposite and alternate; tubular and curved; smooth, lips dentate; teeth, two small ones internally, which are acute; two indistinct ones laterally, which are depressed.

Gonangia pedicellate, obovate with strong cross ribs arranged in a moniliform manner, a distinct neck, mouth with everted lips.

Allied to Th. articulata, Johnst., Brit. Zooph., p. 84, but differs from it in toothed aperture of hydrothecæ and ribbed gonangia. This species is identical with Thuiaria articulata of Captain Hutton, which species Captain Hutton himself noted as being doubtful.

Habitat.—Sometimes in long feathery branches springing from a shell, in others short stunted branches from an extensive network of hydrorhiza. Above description was taken from a specimen sent down to Otago Museum by Dr. Fleming, of Oamaru. I have since obtained it in large quantity on Timaru beach, but scanty on southern coast of New Zealand, so far as I have been. Figs. 32—34.

"Thuiaria zealandica.

"T. zealandica, Gray. Dieffenbach's New Zealand, II., 214.

"Pale brown, erect, branches oppositely pinnate. Hydrothecæ small, exactly opposite, triangular; aperture truncated, with a small central tooth. ‘New Zealand (Dr. Sinclair.)’”

Neither Captain Hutton nor I have seen any specimens.

Genus Antennularia, Lamarck.

"Hydrophyton variously branched, branches clothed with hair-like verticillate branchlets. Hydrothecæ small, sessile, campanulate, unilateral.

Antennularia antennina, Hutton.

• S. antennina, Linn., Syst., 1310.

• A. antennina, Johnst., Brit. Zooph., p. 86.

"Hydrophyton strong, erect, sub-pinnately branched.”

Branches not jointed as in British specimen, but filiformly wrinkled, and chief hydrocaulis springs from “a sponge-like mass composed of numerous implexed tubular fibres.” Branchlets numerous and jointed, bending towards the branch. Hydrothecæ small campanulate with an even rim, with two or three intermediate cellules. Gonangia?

The above description is chiefly a compound of Captain Hutton's and Dr. Johnston's, both of which I have compared with the specimens; in my specimens the branches are not jointed but distinctly wrinkled as above stated, thus differing from Dr. Johnston's description.

Fig. 36 is after Johnston; fig. 35 is original.

Genus Plumularia, Lamarck.

Genus Laomedea, Lamouroux.

Hydrosoma branched, pedicels short, hydrocaulis with ring joints, hydrothecæ alternate and campanulate, gonophores stalked.

Laomedea geniculuta, L.

L. geniculata, Johnst., l.e., p. 103.

Hydrophyton gelatinously transparent, about one inch high. Hydrocaulis

flexuously zig-zag, simple or dichotomously branched, incrassated below the joints and ringed above them. Arising from a delicate tubular hydrorhiza that runs in parallel rows chiefly on older and dead fronds of larger seaweeds. Hydrothecæ on ringed pedicels, rings vary from four to eight in number, aperture entire.

Gonangia, various forms, generally urceolate, some with pure tubular crown and erect aperture, others with an everted lip, others with no crown at all, and these are campanulate; gonangia pedicellate, pedicels of two to four rings.

Habitat.—Fronds of seaweed. Very widely distributed.

Captain Hutton was the first to discover and determine this species in New Zealand, and incorporated with the above description are some notes he lent me. Figs. 42—44.

Genus Campanularia, Lamarck.

Hydrosoma branched or simple, pedicels long. Arising irregularly or in verticils. Gonophores sessile.

Campanularia integra (?), Hutton.

Macgillivray, Ann. and Mag. N. H., IX., 465; Johnst., l. c., p. 109.

"Hydrocaulis a single creeping filiform tube; hydrothecæ on long slender twisted pedicels; campaniform, with an entire rim. Gonangia large, sessile, campanulate, slightly constricted below the rim, which is entire.

"On Fuci, Wellington Harbour.”

I have not been able to get a fresh specimen of this species, and although Captain Hutton gave me some dried specimens I prefer giving a description he gave me of it, which had been taken whilst the object was fresh.

Of this I am certain, however, that the species figured in fig. 45 (which is taken from a fresh specimen got at Tairoa Head) is not Campanularia integra, Johnston.

I defer my notes on this species until I have had further opportunities of studying it.

Campanularia bilabiata, sp. nov.

Hydrophyton creeping and gelatinous. Trophosomic and gonosomic elements distinct, former stalked, latter sub-sessile.

Hydrocaulis 0.5 inch in length. Erect, simple, one-celled, contracted at hydrorhiza, only one bead-like joint at proximal end of hydrotheca. Cænosarc tumid at each end of this bead.

Hydrotheca at an oblique angle to stalk, digitaliformly campanulate; lip sinuously bilabiate.

Gonangia almost alternate with nutritive buds. Two forms long and short. General form urceolate, but endoderm has a marked campanulate

form. Lips entire, contracted by a joint where they join hydrorhiza. Spores arranged in several spiral rows around blastostyle.

Habitat.—Fuci, one to three fathoms, Timaru; delicate seaweeds; growing from, roots of Laminarians.

This species well illustrates what I have noticed in other species, that there is a sensible difference in size, even in same species, in those I have got on southern beaches as contrasted with those got on eastern beaches, the latter being by far the largest. Figs. 46—49.

Greene, in Manual of Cælenterata, p. 128, mentions that there is a species of Cryptolaria (a Sertularian) found in New Zealand, other members of this genus being found in Madeira.

I have collected a few more species than I have had time to describe, but I hope to contribute on the same subject to next year's Transactions.

Description of Plate XX.

Note.—All objects magnified 50 diameters, except where otherwise specified.

• Fig. 1. Sertularia johnstonii. Typical specimen. a and b, different views of the hydrothecæ.

•   2. Variety of Sertularia johnstonii, possessing the oblique joint.

•   3, 4, and 5. Different forms of gonangiums of Sert. johnstonii.

•   6. Position and form of hydrothecæ on secondary branches of S. monilifera.

•   7. Gonangium of same.

•   8. Sertularia simplex. Type.

•   9. A variety of S. simplex. Shows its relation to S. polyzonias.

•   10. Another var. of S. simplex. Shows still better the relations of this species to S. polyzonias.

•   11. Gonangium of S. simplex. Type.

•   12. Part of a ramule of S. ramulosa, showing hydrothecæ and gonangium.

•   13. Habit and general form of Sertularia ramulosa. Half nat. size.

•   14. Sertularia trispinosa. Fig. 16 gives form of gonangium.

•   15. a, one of the varieties of S. trispinosa; b, the second variety of S. trispinosa; this shows well its plumularian habit. Half nat. size.

•   16. Gonangium common to Sert. trispinosa, Sert. bispinosa, and Sert. abietinoides.

•   17. Portion of hydrocaulis of S. bispinosa. Gonangium shows the stunted process mentioned in the text.

•   18. Sertularia abietinoides, a pinna magnified.

•   19. Profile view of gonangium common to Sert. trispinosa, Sert. bispinosa, and Sert. abietinoides.