Bougainvilliidae

Bougainvilliidae
Bougainvillia muscus
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Cnidaria
Class:	Hydrozoa
Order:	Anthoathecata
Suborder:	Filifera
Family:	Bougainvilliidae Lütken, 1850
Genera
See text
Synonyms
Atractylidae Hincks, 1868 Bimeridae Allman, 1872 Clavopsellidae Thiel, 1962 Dicorynidae Allman, 1864 Hippocrenidae McCrady, 1959 Lizusidae Haeckel, 1879 Margelidae Haeckel, 1879 Nemopsidae L.Agassiz, 1862 Pachycordylini Cockerell, 1911 Thamnostomidae Haeckel, 1879

Bougainvilliidae is a family of marine hydroids in the class Hydrozoa. Members of the family are found worldwide. There are sixteen accepted genera and about ninety-three species.

Description

Hydroids in this family can be solitary or colonial. When colonial, the hydranths or hydroid polyps are either linked by stolons or are branched. The hydranths have one or more whorls of fine tentacles. The gonophores are free-living medusae or are fixed sporosacs. The medusae are bell-shaped with a circular mouth and branched oral tentacles inserted above the rim of the mouth, ending in clusters of nematocysts.

Genera

• Bimeria Wright, 1859
• Bougainvillia Lesson, 1830
• Chiarella Maas, 1897
• Dicoryne Allman, 1859
• Garveia Wright, 1859
• Koellikerina Kramp, 1939
• Millardiana Wedler & Larson, 1986 (tentatively placed here)
• Nemopsis Agassiz, 1849
• Nubiella Bouillon, 1980
• Pachycordyle Weismann, 1883
• Parawrightia Warren, 1907
• Rhizorhagium M. Sars, 1874
• Silhouetta Millard & Bouillon, 1973
• Thamnostoma Haeckel, 1879
• Velkovrhia Matjasic & Sket, 1971