Oaten pipes hydroid
Tubularia indivisa (oaten pipes hydroid) is a species of large hydroid discovered in 1758.
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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starts withT. Indivisa is observed to have around 40 oral tentacles surrounded by 20–30 larger tentacles. This outer ring of larger tentacles are paler and longer than the inner ring of oral tentacles. The tough and yellow unbranched stems are clustered together and fuse at the base of the colony. The color of the single polyp itself can range from a pale pink to a red and in spring (mainly), red or pink gonotheca grow between the inner set of oral tentacles. The gonotheca has been described as "part of hydroid producing gametes where eggs are often incubated until the larva is released". The polyps are observed with a conical or flask shape and present only in spring, with the diameter of the polyp and tentacles being around.mw-parser-output.frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output.frac.num,.mw-parser-output.frac.den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output.frac.den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output.sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);clip-path:polygon(0px 0px,0px 0px,0px 0px);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}15 millimetres (1⁄2 inch) in length and the overall height observed of the entire organism ranging from 10–15 centimetres (4–6 in).
Key identification features include:
T. indivisa have been observed living in small clumps on all coasts of the British Isles and are widespread in Britain and Ireland. They live strictly in a marine environment and have been spotted in the North Sea, Norwegian Sea, and the English Channel. T. indivisa attach to bedrock, boulders as well as other substrata such as kelp stipes. They have also been observed growing through sheets of sponges (such as Myxilla incrustans and Halichondria panicea), as well as through patches of the barnacle (Balanus crenatus) and the tubes of some amphipods (Jassa spp.). They are seen to be abundant where strong tidal currents occur and grow on various hard surfaces in different water depths ranging from shallow near shore to great depths. Occasionally, they are seen living among seaweeds haptera in "current-swept" areas. Because of their strong attachment points as well as their ability to recover quickly, they are very flexible which allows them to bend with the tide. These areas also have high turbidity levels for a majority of the year.
T. indivisa provides a habitat for 12 bacteria and species groups. It contains bacterial aggregates in their tentacles epidermis which contains hundreds of tightly packed, differently shaped endobacteria. T. indivisa is also a habitat for the potentially pathogenic Endozoicimonas elysicola, which is suspected to play a role in amoebic fish disease.
T. indivisa were studied in Felixstone, Suffold, and were observed to breed the most in the spring as well as late summer (though they are able to breed throughout the year). Through observation in spring cohorts, it has been seen that reproduction can occur within 6–8 weeks and have a large larval dispersal capacity. These larvae can settle 1–10 kilometres (0.6–6 miles) from the parental source and reach sexual maturity at a rapid rate. Their reproductive sacs are noted to be the sporosacs type rather than the Medusae. They are preyed upon by the nudibranch Dendrontous frodosus. The nudibranchs as well as Catriona gymnota are observed to eat the polyps, leaving only the stems. T. indivisa's mortality rate is observed to be around 2% per month in the winter and up to 70% per month in the summer because of nudibranchs. Their life span is around one year and their mean post-larval life expectancy can range from 30 days to 160 days.
