Coe. 42 Thyroscyphus

            Kingdom         - Animalia

            Phylum            - Cnidaria

            Class                - Hydrozoa 

            Subclass           - Hydroidolina

            Order               - Leptothecata

            Family             - Thyroscyphidae

            Genus              - Thyroscyphus

 Characters:

            The colony is transparent, pale yellow in color, smooth outer wall reaches a maximum height from hydrorhyza to tip of hydrocaulus 43.5cm without gonotheca and 24cm with gonophore.  Stolen are webbed and entwined tightly with the substrates.  Among the total 13 hydrorhyza two are infertile hydrorhyza. Branches 8-–34 with length variations were noted, smaller in upper and lower, larger branch in the middle of hydrorhyza.  The branch length 3.2cm to a maximum of 8.4cm.  The straight basal bottom becomes slender and crooked. Pedicle spirally twisted alternately (right pedicle twisted clockwise, left pedicles twisted anti-clockwise) ridged and shorter carrying hydrotheca at the upper end of the thick annulus.     

Habit and Habitat

            The colonies occur in areas with strong current.  This species grows on substratum such as sponges, shells of bivalves, on the sides of coral rock, and the sea surface covered with sandy rubbles also in vertical walls and surf zones. Occurs in shallow areas to a maximum depth of 457m.