''Hydrocorella africana'', the shell-mimic hydroid, is a small colonial encrusting hydroid in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Hydractiniidae Hydractiniidae is a cnidarian family of athecate hydroids. Genera The World Register of Marine Species includes the following genera in the family: *'' Bouillonactinia'' Miglietta, McNally & Cunningham, 2010 *'' Clava'' Gmelin, 1788 *'' Clavact ...

Description

Shell-mimic hydroids grow as calcified colonies of 0.5–2 cm thick on shells of living

snails A snail is, in loose terms, a shelled gastropod. The name is most often applied to land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs. However, the common name ''snail'' is also used for most of the members of the molluscan class Gastrop ...

. The colony has a pale chalky skeleton and cream to orange hydranths (feeding individuals). Millard, N.A.H. 1975. Monograph on the Hydroida of Southern Africa. ''Ann. S. Afr. Mus.'' 68:1-513

Distribution

This colonial animal is found only off the South African coast from the west coast to Durban subtidally and to 500m under water.

Ecology

After the death of the

mollusc Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is esti ...

the colony may continue growing in an open spiral. The colony often develops into spines and outgrowths, growing to such an extent that the colonised shell becomes unrecognisable.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1864999 Hydractiniidae Animals described in 1921