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Family: Eudendriidae
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Polyp: Colony monosiphonic, with branched hydrocaulus. Perisarc thin, flexible when alive, brownish or straw colored to virtually colorless, annulated to wrinkled at branch bases terminating in a groove at the base of the hydranth. Hydranth cylindrical, with ring of macrobasic eurytele nematocysts at the base. Hypostome slightly flattened to knobbed, surrounded by two whorls of more than 40 solid filiform tentacles. Macrobasic eurytele nematocysts on hypostome and hydranth base. Reproduction: Gonophores as fixed sporosacs, borne on hydranths near the tentacles; male borne on entire hydranth body; with eight or more female gonophores in a whorl on mature hydranths, unbranched spadix curving over egg. Ecology and Distribution: Circum-tropical, also in Mediterranean Sea. In Bocas del Toro collected in Punta Hospital. Remarks: With zooxanthellae in the coenosarc of hydranths and tentacles. |
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