''Corymorpha nutans'' is a hydroid in the family

Corymorphidae Corymorphidae is a family of hydroid cnidarians. For long placed in a presumed superfamily or infraorder Tubulariida of suborder Capitata, they are actually close relatives of the Hydridae and are now united with these and a number of relative ...

Description

This hydroid consists of a single polyp on a tapering stalk which arises from sand or gravel. The colouration is translucent white or pale pink and the stem has pale lines that run longitudinally from the base to where it joins the polyp. The polyp size is relatively large and bends over towards one side, this feature is responsible for the hydroid's name (nutans is Latin for nodding). Typically there are 30 to 40 long, thin tentacles surrounding approximately 80 shorter, finer ones. Overall height 80-100mm, diameter of the polyp and tentacles about 20mm.

Distribution

''Corymorpha nutans'' is found throughout the

British Isles The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles (O ...

and is frequent in suitable habitats in the

Northern Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the "Old World" of Africa, Europe and ...

and south to the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ...

.iNaturalist, 2018
''Corymorpha nutans''
Accessed 2018-02-03.

References

Corymorphidae Animals described in 1835 {{Anthoathecata-stub