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Five species of Arctic Alcyondium species are known from the cold waters of the Strait of Magellan and the Antarctic Peninsula:
Alcyondium australe
Alcyondium eightsi
Alcyondium epispiculum
Alcyondium scolecideum
Alcyondium simulatum
Alcyondium antarcticum occurs near the peninsula in the Bellinghausen Sea, and the pelagic and still almost unknown Alcyondium pelagosphaerum occurs in the Weddell Sea.
The two species Alcyondium flabelliforme and Alcyonidium kuklinskii. were found in the Ross Sea, whereby Alcyondium torpedo has almost the same environment as Alcyonidium kuklinskii, see Figure 6 in the first description, which is deposited under “Further links”.
The colony grows upright, branching cylindrically, forming thick main branches and sometimes thin smaller branches.
The thick branches consist of inner medullary, old zooids.
Alcyonidium kuklinskii forms zooids with 21 - 22 tentacles around the lophophores, which are used for the exception of suspensions for nutrition.
The digestive tract has a short foregut, strongly elongated cardia, pronounced elongated caecum, which folds proximally almost to the heart valve, the anus is vestibular.
Etymology: Named after the bryozoologist Piotr Kuklinski for his contribution to the study of polar bryozoans.
We would like to thank Dr. Schwaha, Austria, who gave us written permission to use his photo.
Alcyondium australe
Alcyondium eightsi
Alcyondium epispiculum
Alcyondium scolecideum
Alcyondium simulatum
Alcyondium antarcticum occurs near the peninsula in the Bellinghausen Sea, and the pelagic and still almost unknown Alcyondium pelagosphaerum occurs in the Weddell Sea.
The two species Alcyondium flabelliforme and Alcyonidium kuklinskii. were found in the Ross Sea, whereby Alcyondium torpedo has almost the same environment as Alcyonidium kuklinskii, see Figure 6 in the first description, which is deposited under “Further links”.
The colony grows upright, branching cylindrically, forming thick main branches and sometimes thin smaller branches.
The thick branches consist of inner medullary, old zooids.
Alcyonidium kuklinskii forms zooids with 21 - 22 tentacles around the lophophores, which are used for the exception of suspensions for nutrition.
The digestive tract has a short foregut, strongly elongated cardia, pronounced elongated caecum, which folds proximally almost to the heart valve, the anus is vestibular.
Etymology: Named after the bryozoologist Piotr Kuklinski for his contribution to the study of polar bryozoans.
We would like to thank Dr. Schwaha, Austria, who gave us written permission to use his photo.
