Hydroids (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa) from Japanese tsunami marine debris washing ashore in the northwestern United States

A notable discovery of 14 hydroid species, including two anthoathecates and 12 leptothecates, was made on tsunami debris from Japan that washed ashore along the northwestern United States. Eight species were identified as amphi-Pacific, while five others (S. stylactaria sp.; Eutima japonica; Orthopyxis platycarpa; Sertularella sp.; Plumularia sp.) represented new records for the region. Obelia griffini emerged as the most frequently encountered species, found on three of the four derelict substrates. The study also clarified taxonomic relationships among Obelia species, assigning precedence to O. griffini under zoological nomenclature principles. These findings highlight the impact of marine debris on biodiversity and provide new insights into hydroid distribution and taxonomy.

Calder, D., Choong, H., Carlton, J., Chapman, J., Miller, J., & Geller, J. (2014). Hydroids (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa) from Japanese tsunami marine debris washing ashore in the northwestern United States. Aquatic Invasions, 9(4), 425–440. https://doi.org/10.3391/ai.2014.9.4.02