Hydroids (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa) from marine fouling assemblages in the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador

A comprehensive survey of hydroids (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa) from marine fouling communities in the Galápagos Islands identified 20 species, including six anthoathecates and 14 leptothecates. Eight species were recorded for the first time in the archipelago, with three also being new to the eastern Pacific. The study highlighted eight introduced hydroid species, increasing the known count to eight, and reclassified four as cryptogenic, bringing the total to five. Notably, the species Obelia thornelyi was reassigned to the genus Clytia, and Dynamena distans was combined with the genus Amphisbetia. The research, based on samples collected in 2015 and 2016, also included a previously undocumented hydroid from a shipwreck near Isla San Cristóbal. This study contributes significantly to the understanding of hydroid biodiversity and biogeography in the Galápagos.

Calder, D. (2019). Hydroids (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa) from marine fouling assemblages in the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador. Aquatic Invasions, 14(1), 21–58. https://doi.org/10.3391/ai.2019.14.1.02