PromotedSpecies introCountry intro
Zanclea divergens hydroid with Celleporaria sibogae bryozoan
Kapal indah, Lembeh. Zanclea are the white filaments coming out of the darker bryozoan colony of Celleporaria sibogae. Zanclea polyps on the bryozoan Celleporaria sting small predators and adjacent competitors, helping Celleporaria to survive and to grow over competing species. This mutualism enables the two species to cover a larger area than they could individually (https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/3319/Osman_1981_Science.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y).
Zanclea hydroids of this can be symbiotic with either bryozoans, bivalves, or corals. Symbiotic relationships leads to polymorphism and colony integration with the hosts.
In this hydroid the hydrorhiza is reticulate, growing under the skeleton of the bryozoan host, with discrete clusters of macrobasic euryteles; hydranths sessile, cylindrical; with four short oral capitate tentacles and 25-30 short aboral scattered capitate tentacles; medusa buds on hydrorhiza. Cnido-
me: holotrichous.. more
