Description
The hydrozooan Clytia kincaidi was described (as Campanularia kincaidi) from Puget Sound, and later reported as (Laomedea kincaidi) from the Caribbean (Leloup 1935). It seems difficult to believe that one species could have such a disjunct distribution in such different climates. Calder notes, in a personal communication '.. its taxonomy is very poorly known, in spite of considerable advances since my 1971 report was done. I consider it a valid species, tho' the whole genus is a difficult one and in need of revision' (Calder 1997).
A medusa may be present, as in most other Clytia spp., but it has not been described, to our knowledge.
Taxonomy
| Kingdom | Phylum | Class | Order | Family | Genus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Animalia | Cnidaria | Hydozoa | Leptomedusae | Campanulariidae | Clytia |
Synonyms
Invasion History
Chesapeake Bay Status
| First Record | Population | Range | Introduction | Residency | Source Region | Native Region | Vectors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Established | Unknown | Cryptogenic | Regular Resident | Western Atlantic | Unknown-Marine | Shipping(Ballast Water,Fouling Community) |
History of Spread
The hydroid Clytia kincaidi was described from Puget Sound by Nutting in 1899 (Nutting 1899), and subsequently reported from Vancouver Island (Leloup 1935). The first Western Atlantic record was from the islands of Klein Bonaire and Bonaire in the Caribbean (Leloup 1935). ['These hydrothecae correspond perfectly to the description and figure 2, plate IV, given by C. Nutting (1915)'.] Clytia kincaidi was not reported from the Atlantic coast of North America by Fraser (1944).
Clytia kincaidi was first found on the North American Atlantic Coast in Chesapeake Bay by Calder, during field surveys in 1968-1969 (Calder 1971; Calder 1972), and subsequently found to be common in SC (Calder 1976; Calder and Hester 1978). 'I expect its distribution is more or less continuous from the Caribbean to Chesapeake Bay' (Calder 1997).
We consider Clytia kincaidi to be cryptogenic in Chesapeake Bay and elsewhere on the North American Atlantic coast. Calder notes that 'there is no way to know how long it may have been part of the fauna of the Chesapeake' (Calder 1997). If it was introduced to Chesapeake Bay, the Caribbean seems the likeliest source. The taxonomic relationship between Atlantic and Pacific populations appears to be unresolved, though Calder considers the species a valid one (Calder 1997).
Calder found Clytia kincaidi in tributaries of the lower Bay at Hampton Flats, VA, at the mouth of the James River and at Gloucester Point, on the York River (Calder 1971). Thompson, sampling in 1991-1992, found it at one location in the James River, Swash Hole (Thompson 1993). Most fouling studies usually did not identify Campanularidae to species (Abbe 1987; Cory 1967; Humphries et al. 1985), so there are no further definite records of C. kincaidi. Most samples of Clytia from our fouling plates lacked gonophores and could not be identified to species (Calder 1995-1997; Ruiz et al. unpublished data).
History References - Abbe 1987; Calder 1971; Calder 1972; Calder 1976; Calder 1997; Calder and Hester 1978; Cory 1967; Fraser 1944; Humphries et al. 1985; Leloup 1935; Nutting 1899; Ruiz et al. unpublished data; Thompson 1993
Invasion Comments
Vector(s) of Introduction - Ballast water transport of medusae may be possible. Clytia spp.and other campanulariids are known to attach to such fauna as sea turtles, whales, and fishes (Cornelius 1982), so that natural transport cannot be ruled out.
Invasion Status- We have called Clytia kincaidi cryptogenic, because the taxonomic difficulty of the genus may have delayed the recognition of C. kincaidi in the northwest Atlantic, and because of the possibility of natural transport by fauna.
Ecology
Environmental Tolerances
| For Survival | For Reproduction | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | Maximum | Minimum | Maximum | |
| Temperature (ºC) | 10.0 | 32.0 | ||
| Salinity (‰) | 4.0 | 34.0 | ||
| Oxygen | ||||
| pH | ||||
| Salinity Range | poly-eu |
Age and Growth
| Male | Female | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Adult Size (mm) | ||
| Typical Adult Size (mm) | ||
| Maximum Adult Size (mm) | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| Maximum Longevity (yrs) | ||
| Typical Longevity (yrs |
Reproduction
| Start | Peak | End | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reproductive Season | |||
| Typical Number of Young Per Reproductive Event |
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| Sexuality Mode(s) | |||
| Mode(s) of Asexual Reproduction |
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| Fertilization Type(s) | |||
| More than One Reproduction Event per Year |
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| Reproductive Startegy | |||
| Egg/Seed Form |
Impacts
Economic Impacts in Chesapeake Bay
Clytia kincaidi is too rare to be a significant fouling organism in the Chesapeake region.
Economic Impacts Outside of Chesapeake Bay
Clytia kincaidi is common in SC (Calder and Hester 1978), and probably also on other parts of the southeast United States coastline and the Caribbean (Calder 1997). However, its importance as a fouling organism is not known in this region.
Ecological Impacts on Chesapeake Native Species
Clytia kincaidi appears to be too rare to have significant effects on Chesapeake Bay biota.
Ecological Impacts on Other Chesapeake Non-Native Species
Clytia kincaidi appears to be too rare to have significant impacts on other cryptogenic or introduced biota.
References
Abbe, George R. (1987) Epifauna, In: Heck, Kenneth L.(Eds.) Ecological studies in the middle reach of Chesapeake Bay- Calvert Cliffs. , Berlin. Pp. 82-91Calder, Dale R. (1971) Hydroids and hydromedusae of southern Chesapeake Bay., Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Special Papers in Marine Science 1: 1-125
Calder, Dale R. (1972) Phylum Cnidaria, Special Scientific Report, Virginia Institute of Marine Science 65: 97-102
Calder, Dale R. (1976) The zonation of hydroids along salinity gradients in South Carolina estuaries, In: (Eds.) Coelenterate Ecology and Behavior. , New York. Pp. 165-174
Calder, Dale R. (1992) Seasonal cycles of activity and inactivity in some hydroids from Virginia and South Carolina, U.S.A., Canadian Journal of Zoology 68: 442-450
Calder, Dale R. (1997) Introduced hydroids in Chesapeake Bay, email, Zoologische Verhandlingen Leiden :
Calder, Dale R.; Hester, Betty S. (1978) Phylum Cnidaria., In: Zingmark, Richard G.(Eds.) An Annotated Checklist of the Biota of the Coastal Zone of South Carolina. , Columbia. Pp. 87-93
Cornelius, P. F. S, (1982) Hydroids and medusae of the family Campanulariidae recorded from the eastern North Atlantic, with a world synopsis of genera., Bulletin of the British Museum, Natural History (Zoology) 42: 37-148
Cory, Robert L. (1967) Epifauna of the Patuxent River Estuary, Chesapeake Science 8: 71-89
Fraser, C. McLean (1944) Hydroids of the Atlantic Coast of North America, In: (Eds.) . , Toronto. Pp. 1-441
Humphries, Edythe M.; Duedall, Iver W.; Jordan, Stephen J. (1985) Coal-waste blocks as a fouling substrate in estuarine water., In: (Eds.) Energy Wastes in the Ocean. , New York. Pp. 613-649
Leloup, Eugene (1935) Hydraires calyptoblastiques des indes occidentales, Memoires du Musee Royal D'Histoire Naturelle de Belgique 2: 1-73
Nutting, Charles Cleveland (1899) Hydroida from Alaska and Puget Sound., Proceedings of the United States National Museum 21: 741-753
Thompson, Michelle Lynne (1993) Dynamics of an oligohaline, macrofaunal, fouling community., , Williamsburg VA. Pp.