''Tubularia'' is a genus of

hydroids Hydroids are a life stage for most animals of the class Hydrozoa, small predators related to jellyfish. Some hydroids such as the freshwater '' Hydra'' are solitary, with the polyp attached directly to the substrate. When these produce buds ...

resembling furry pink tufts or balls at the end of long strings, owing to the common names "pink-mouthed" or "pink-hearted" hydroids.

Description

The average height of an individual colony is 40–60 mm and the diameter of the polyp and tentacles is 10mm. ''Tubularia indivisa'' and '' Ectopleura larynx'' may be difficult to distinguish and the two often grow together. In ''E. larynx'' the stems branch while in ''T. indivisa'' they are unbranched. Tubularia occurs either solitary or in colonies, both being dioecious; possessing large, brilliantly coloured, flowerlike hydrants.

Medusae Jellyfish and sea jellies are the informal common names given to the medusa-phase of certain gelatinous members of the subphylum Medusozoa, a major part of the phylum Cnidaria. Jellyfish are mainly free-swimming marine animals with umbrella- ...

remain attached to the hypostome in clusters, never being dispersed. These animals represent structures of the ancestral coelenterate.

Life cycle

During the summer time, sperm are released into the water and attracted to female reproductive structures by means of a chemical substance. Internal fertilization occurs in the female medusoids. The fertilized eggs develop into actinula. These larvae develop directly into a new polyp. Although the medusa are attached to the polyp, the life cycle resembles that of typical Cnidarian with the polyp reproducing asexually and the medusa producing egg and sperm.Fish, J. D., and S. Fish. ''A Student's Guide to the Seashore''. New York: Cambridge UP, 2011. Print

References

External links

New Jersey Scuba Diver - Plant-like Animals

Marine Life Encyclopedia

MBL Marine Organisms Database page
Tubulariidae Hydrozoan genera {{Anthoathecata-stub