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A hydroid

Sponge & Cnidarian

A hydroid

Diphasia fallax (Johnston, 1847)

WoRMS AphialID

117879

Sample IDs

Collected

Bay of Fundy

Distinguishing Features

• Erect, feather-like, colony 4–10 cm tall.
• Main stem thick with alternate side branches.
• Hydrothecae in two rows in opposite or subopposite pairs.
• Hydrothecae stout and short with no teeth.
• Hydrothecae attached for about 3/4 of their length.
• Hydrothecae aperture circular with univalve operculum.
• Large gonothecae with four horns.

Habitat

From depths of 8 to over 75 m. Often grows on other hydroids. Associated with moderate tidal streams.

Geographic Range

Arctic and both sides of the North Atlantic. Type locality in North Sea. Common in the Bay of Fundy.

Fun Fact

The name comes from the Latin fallax meaning false, misleading, or deceptive.

Barcode Distribution

Records from Norway, UK, and Canada.

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