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Description: Identified by Peter Schuchert. Identifying the two specimens was initially rather difficult. Both polyps, but
especially the larger 008#4, has a polyp body which shows some bilateral features, viz the outline seen from below
is kidney shaped. This is otherwise typical for the related genus Branchiocerianthus. However, other diagnostic features of the genus Branchiocerianthus are
absent:
branched blastostyles (stalks bearing the gonads), blastostyles arranged in a horseshoe- shape, shorter
tentacles on one side of the hydranth.
So, I think that the kidney-shaped bodies are a result of the large size. Note that the polyp body is bent to one side in order to bring the tentacle crown to an almost vertical position, one side of the body and the lower tentacles are thus pressed against the stem. With age, these might therefore be modified Besides the body form, only the size deviates from existing descriptions of this species. In the original description of Sars, he gives a size of maximal 5 inches, which is not so much different from the present specimens. Likely only specimen 008#4 is larger than 5 inches. The size of animals I have seen so far was 4-5 cm. Anyway, I will mention these two specimens as deep water forms of C. glacialis (normal occurrence is 20-220 m). Corymorpha glacialis is a rather rare species and only a handful of specimens have been seen so far. Item Type: Image Title: Hydroid Corymorpha glacialis Copyright: SERPENT project Species: Corymorpha glacialis Site: Atlantic -- North Sea -- West of Shetland -- TornadoNorth Sea -- West of Shetland -- Tornado Site Description: Seafloor Depth (m): 1050 Latitude: 60 deg 33' 44" N Longitude: 4 deg 27' 23" W Countries: UK -- West of Shetland Habitat: benthic Rig: Stena Carron Project Partners: OMV, Oceaneering, Stena ROV: Magnum 156 Deposited By: Dr Daniel Jones Deposited On: 23 December 2009
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Description: Identified by Peter Schuchert. Identifying the two specimens was initially rather difficult. Both polyps, but
especially the larger 008#4, has a polyp body which shows some bilateral features, viz the outline seen from below
is kidney shaped. This is otherwise typical for the related genus Branchiocerianthus. However, other diagnostic features of the genus Branchiocerianthus are
absent:
branched blastostyles (stalks bearing the gonads), blastostyles arranged in a horseshoe- shape, shorter
tentacles on one side of the hydranth.
So, I think that the kidney-shaped bodies are a result of the large size. Note that the polyp body is bent to one side in order to bring the tentacle crown to an almost vertical position, one side of the body and the lower tentacles are thus pressed against the stem. With age, these might therefore be modified Besides the body form, only the size deviates from existing descriptions of this species. In the original description of Sars, he gives a size of maximal 5 inches, which is not so much different from the present specimens. Likely only specimen 008#4 is larger than 5 inches. The size of animals I have seen so far was 4-5 cm. Anyway, I will mention these two specimens as deep water forms of C. glacialis (normal occurrence is 20-220 m). Corymorpha glacialis is a rather rare species and only a handful of specimens have been seen so far. Item Type: Image Title: Hydroid Corymorpha glacialis Copyright: SERPENT project Species: Corymorpha glacialis Site: Atlantic -- North Sea -- West of Shetland -- TornadoNorth Sea -- West of Shetland -- Tornado Site Description: Seafloor Depth (m): 1050 Latitude: 60 deg 33' 44" N Longitude: 4 deg 27' 23" W Countries: UK -- West of Shetland Habitat: benthic Rig: Stena Carron Project Partners: OMV, Oceaneering, Stena ROV: Magnum 156 Deposited By: Dr Daniel Jones Deposited On: 23 December 2009
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Description: Hydroid Corymorpha glacialis
These hydroids are large and
conspicuous with one whorl of over
40 long tentacles with inner rings of
blastostyles with reproductive
spheres (gonophores) and short,
ventral oral tentacles.
The orange oblong object is an
amphipod, potentially living
associated with this Corymorpha
individual. Item Type: Image Copyright: SERPENT project Species: Corymorpha glacialis Site: Atlantic -- Norwegian -- Dalsnuten Site Description: Seafloor Depth (m): 1452 Latitude: 66 deg 34' 33" N Longitude: 3 deg 32' 46" E Countries: Norway -- Norwegian Sector Habitat: Benthic Rig: Aker Barents Project Partners: Shell, Aker Drilling, Oceaneering ROV: Magnum 142 Deposited By: Miss Moira MacLean Deposited On: 23 February 2011
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Description: Hydroid Corymorpha glacialis Item Type: Image Copyright: SERPENT project Species: Corymorpha glacialis Site: Atlantic -- Norwegian -- Dalsnuten Site Description: Seafloor Depth (m): 1452 Latitude: 66 deg 34' 33" N Longitude: 3 deg 32' 46" E Countries: Norway -- Norwegian Sector Habitat: Benthic Rig: Aker Barents Project Partners: Shell, Aker Drilling, Oceaneering ROV: Magnum 142 Deposited By: Miss Moira MacLean Deposited On: 23 February 2011
