Gymnangium montagui (Billard, 1912)

Description

Gymnangium montagui is a hydroid that develops in erect feather-like colonies from 8 to 10 cm high and covering areas of about 10 cm2. Colonies bud from a basal stolon and grow in the same direction, parallel to each other. The outline of each plume is regular up to the 4/5th of their height, then it ends in an angular way. The main stem, called hydrocaulus, has from 100 to 300 alternate branches in two rows which are parallel and slightly curved. The tiny polyps, invisible to the eyes, are aligned on the curved side of the branches. Their tentacles open out on both sides of the inter-branches. The Indian feathers hydroid lives in moderatly current-swept areas between 10 and 40 meters deep, generally attached to the horizontal side of rocks, and protected by overhangs in shallow waters.

Distribution

Gymnangium montagui is reported in the North-West Atlantic Ocean and is rare in the English Channel.

How to cite this page

Bay-Nouailhat W., Bay-Nouailhat A., september 2007, Description of Gymnangium montagui, [On line] https://european-marine-life.org/05/gymnangium-montagui.php, consulted on 2024 April 16.