Anthomedusae

Taxobox
name = Athecate hydroids

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image_width = 200px
image_caption = Lower left, top right: Aspects of "Tiara pileata" (Filifera: Clavidae) Lower right: Aspect of "Stomotoca pterophylla" (Filifera: Pandeidae). From "Kunstformen der Natur" by Ernst Haeckel (1904)
regnum = Animalia
subregnum = Eumetazoa
phylum = Cnidaria
subphylum = Medusozoa
classis = Hydrozoa
subclassis = Leptolinae
ordo = Anthomedusae
ordo_authority = Haeckel, 1879
subdivision_ranks = Suborders
subdivision =
Capitata

Filifera
synonyms =
* Anthomedusa Haeckel, 1879

* Anthoathecata Cornelius, 1992

* Anthoathecatae Cornelius, 1992 (emendation)

* Athecata Hincks, 1868

* Athecatae Hincks, 1868 (emendation)

* Gymnoblastea Allman, 1871

* Hydromedusa

* Hydromedusae

* Stylasterina Hickson and England, 1905

* Stylasterinae Hickson and England, 1905 (emendation)

Anthomedusae or Anthomedusa, the athecate hydroids, are an order of the Hydrozoa, a class of marine invertebrates belonging to the phylum Cnidaria. A profusion of alternate scientific names exists for this long-known, heavily discussed and spectactular group - it has also been called Gymnoblastea, or, with or without an emended ending "-ae", Anthoathecata, Athecata, Hydromedusa or Stylasterina. There are about 1,200 species worldwide.Schuchert (2008)]

These hydrozoans always have a polyp stage. Their hydranths grow either solitary or in colonies. There is no firm perisarc around the polyp body. The medusae are solitary animals, with tentacles arising from the bell margin, lacking statocysts but possessing radial canals. Their gonads are on the manubrium ("handle").

Except in Eudendriidae and Laingiidae, the cnidome has desmonemes.

ystematics [Schuchert (2008), MarineSpecies.org (2008)]

Their close relationship to the Leptomedusae has been long known. But it was believed that these two were also close to the Limnomedusae. Actually, their closest relative are the highly advanced Siphonophorae, whereas the Limnomedusae are simply a rather primitive group that is not very closely related to these three Leptolinae but might actually belong to the Trachylinae subclass. The family Clathrozoellidae is placed with the Filifera in some treatments; in others it is placed in the Leptomedusae and sometimes even synonymized with their family Clathrozoidae. The supposed athecate family Monobrachiidae apparently belongs in the Olindiasidae of the Limnomedusae.

The Porpitidae are highly aberrant group, and were at one time considered an own order "Chondrophora". But actually they are derived from Zancleida. Halammohydridae and Otohydridae, sometimes placed here, actually appear to be trachyline hydrozoans of the order Actinulidae. Similarly, the Laingiidae, also long considered a distinct order Laingiomedusae, might belong in the Pandeida.

Infraorders and families

"Basal and "incertae sedis" Anthomedusae
* Genus "Gammaria"
* Genus "Saccohydra"
* Family Codonidae
* Family Halimedusidae - Capitata: Moerisiida?
* Family Halocordylidae
* Family Laingiidae - Filifera: Pandeida? Tentatively placed here.
* Family Myriothelidae - includes Candelabriidae; Capitata: Tubulariida?
* Family Rhysiidae - Filifera: Margelina?
* Family Russelliidae - Filifera: Pandeida?
* Family Stylasteridae - Filifera: Margelina?

Suborder Capitata

Basal or "incertae sedis"
* Genus "Blasthothela"
* Genus "Ctenaria" - Zancleida: Zancleidae?
* Genus "Microcampana"
* Genus "Oonautes" - Zancleida: Zancleidae?
* Genus "Paulinum"
* Genus "Pteronema"
* Genus "Tetraralphia"Infraorder Moerisiida
** Family Boeromedusidae
** Family Hydridae
** Family Moerisiidae
** Family Polyorchidae
** Family ProtohydridaeInfraorder Sphaerocorynida
** Family Hydrocorynidae
** Family Sphaerocorynidae
** Family ZancleopsidaeInfraorder Tubulariida
** Family Acaulidae
** Family Boreohydridae
** Family Cladonematidae
** Family Corymorphidae - includes Paragotoeidae
** Family Corynidae - includes Dicyclocorynidae
** Family Eleutheriidae
** Family Euphysidae
** Family Margelopsidae
** Family Paracorynidae
** Family Pennariidae
** Family Solanderiidae
** Family Tricyclusidae
** Family TubulariidaeInfraorder Zancleida
** Family Asyncorynidae
** Family Cladocorynidae
** Family Halocorynidae
** Family Milleporidae
** Family Porpitidae - includes Velellidae
** Family Pseudosolanderiidae
** Family Rosalindidae
** Family Teissieridae
** Family ZancleidaeSuborder Filifera

Basal or "incertae sedis"
* Genus "Brinckmannia"
* Genus "Kinetocodium" - Margelina: Hydractiniidae?
* Genus "Millardiana" - Margelina: Bougainvilliidae?
* Family Bythotiaridae - includes Calycopsidae; Pandeida?
* Family Hydrichthyidae
* Family Oceaniidae - includes Clavidae; Margelina?
* Family Tubiclavoididae - Pandeida?Infraorder Margelina
* Family Australomedusidae
* Family Balellidae
* Family Bougainvilliidae - includes Clavopsellidae
* Family Cytaeididae
* Family Eucodoniidae
* Family Hydractiniidae
* Family Ptilocodiidae
* Family Rathkeidae
* Family TrichydridaeInfraorder Pandeida
* Family Eudendriidae - includes Urashimeidae
* Family Niobiidae
* Family Pandeidae
* Family Proboscidactylidae
* Family Protiaridae

Footnotes

References

* (2008): [http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=13551 Anthomedusae] . Retrieved 2008-JUL-08.
* (2008): [http://www.ville-ge.ch/mhng/hydrozoa/hydrozoa-directory.htm The Hydrozoa Directory] - [http://www.ville-ge.ch/mhng/hydrozoa/antho/anthomedusae.htm Order Anthomedusae Haeckel, 1879] . Retrieved 2008-JUL-08.

References

* [http://www.tmbl.gu.se/libdb/taxon/neat_pdf/NEAT*Coelenterata.pdf North East Atlantic Taxa]
* [http://siba2.unile.it/ese/issues/3/41/thal24-02.pdf Family, genus and species list]