A New Hydra

Author(s): M. J. Elrod and Maurice Ricker

Source: Transactions of the American Microscopical Society, Vol. 23, Twenty-Fourth
Annual Meeting (May, 1902), pp. 257-258
Published by: Wiley on behalf of American Microscopical Society
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3220946
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A NEW HYDRA

By M. J. ELROD, UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA, AND

MAURICE RICKER, BURLINGTON (IowA) HIGH SCHOOl,

During the summer session of the University of Montana

logical Station, we found what is believed to be a new hy
was taken in large numbers from Echo Lake, Flathead c
Montana. It has not been found in any of the other nu
streams or lakes in this vicinity, and so far as is known no
hydra has ever been collected in the state.1

The following are some of the most noticeable characteri

The animals are conspicuous on account of their bright cor

color and large size. In fact, one can recognize them as

while standing erect on the logs. A fair sample of the larg

measured, when feeding, 16 mm. long from the mouth to th
end. None of the tentacles of this hydra were less than 38
long, measured from the mouth to the end, and the longest
mm., making a total length from tip to tip of 59 mm.

When feeding, the tentacles seem capable of unusual exte

until they seem a mere thread, bearing noticeably large ne
cysts, like beads strung on a string.

The color is a deep bright coral red, most intense nea

proximal end and seems to be distributed in chloroplast-lik

ules as in H. viridis. It is apparently constant and may p
be due to symbiotic algae, although indications are to the co

Since the waters of Echo Lake contain large numbers o

reddish Daphnia, and, thinking the question of their effect

color of the hydra would arise, a number of the latter were
alive and fed for five weeks upon colorless entomostraca, f
Flathead Lake, at the Station laboratory. While they did not
thrive, no noticeable dimming of the color bodies was obse

The hydrae were found early in July, 19ol. There was

time or facilities for delicate histological work, and the

the literature compelled us to defer more careful examinati

a more convenient time.
I1Since the above has been in type Prof. R. A. Cooley reports finding a hydra sparingly in
the eastern part of the state.

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25S
258 M.
M. J.
J. ELROD
ELROD AND MAURICE RICKER
The striking
striking color,
color, the
the large
large size,
size,the
theisolation
isolationof
ofthe
theanimals
animals
from related
related forms,
forms, the
the apparent
apparentdivision
divisionof
ofthe
thebody
bodyinto
intoa astalk
stalk
and an
equal
length,
the
removal
of of
?and
anenlarged
enlargedgastric
gastriccavity
cavityofofabout
about
equal
length,
the
removal
gcnads and
gonads
and buds
buds beyond
beyond this
thisapparent
apparentdivision,
division,altogether
altogetherseemed
seemed
to make it
it worthy
worthy of
of this
this preliminary
preliminarynote.
note.Careful
Carefulhistological
histological
examination
will be
be immediately
immediatelymade,
made,and
andshould
shouldthe
thecharacters
characters
examination will
enumerated,
enumerated, together
together with
with others
otherswhich
whichmay
maybe
berevealed,
revealed,prove
prove
constant and
and new,
new,as
asititisisbelieved
believedthey
theywill,
will,the
the
name
Hydra corala
corala
constant
name
Hyd~5?a
is proposed
proposed for
for the
thespecies.
species.

Echo
Echo Lake, in which
which the
the hydra
hydra was
wasfound,
found,lies
liesin
inthe
thevalley
valley
close to
west
of of
thethe
Swan
Range
of the
close
to the
thefoot-hills,
foot-hills,
west
Swan
Range
of Kootenai
the Kootenai
Mountains,
Mountains, aa few
few miles
miles northeast
northeastof
ofthe
theBiological
BiologicalStation.
Station.ItItis is
narrow,
with aa total
total length
length of
oftwelve
twelveor
orfourteen
fourteenmiles.
miles.ItItmay
may
narrow, with
be the old bed
bed of
of aa river
river which,
which,in
inearlier
earlierdays,
days,flowed
flowedthrough
through
the valley
valley until
until dammed
dammed by
by aamoraine.
moraine.The
Thelake
lakenow
nowhas
hasnonosurface
surface
outlet,
outlet, the water
water probably
probably escaping
escapingthrough
throughunderground
undergroundchannels
channels
or seepage.
seepage. Notwithstanding,
Notwithstanding,it
itcontains
containsfive
fiveor
orsix
sixspecies
speciesofoffish
fish
and
species of
of entomostraca.
entomostraca.
and numerous species
In 1894
I894 the
the water
waterin
inthe
thelake
lake
suddenly
suddenly
rose
rose
about
about
twelve
twelve
feetfeet
above its former
former level,
level, submerging
submergingportions
portionsof
oftimbered
timberedlands
lands

about the lake borders and a meadow. The water has remained

at this
this higher
higher level
levelsince
sincethat
thattime.
time.
at
At
upup
his
claim
when
At the
the upper
upper end
endof
ofthe
thelake
lakea arancher
ranchertook
took
his
claim
when
the water was at the lower stage.
stage. He
He built
built aa log
log bridge
bridge over
over the
the
little stream
stream which
whichflowed
flowedinto
intothe
thelake
lakeatat
this
point
and
erected
little
this
point
and
erected

some
some log
log buildings
buildingsin
inthe
themeadow.
meadow.The
Therising
risingwater
water
floated
floated
the
the
bridge
windows.
It It
was
bridge and
and came
came up
upto
tothe
thetop
topof
ofhis
hisdoor
doorand
and
windows.
was
about
about this
this bridge,
bridge, attached
attached to
to boards
boards and
and roots
rootsof
ofgrasses
grassesgrowing
growing
between the
the logs,
logs,that
thatthe
thehydrae
hydraewere
werefound.
found.
between
Echo
Echo Lake
Lake affords
affordsaagood
goodfield
fieldfor
forfurther
further
biological
biological
study.
study.
ItsIts
waters
nono
connection
with
other
waters are
are held
held in
inby
bya amoraine
moraineand
andhave
have
connection
with
other
bodies of water at any
any season
season of
of the
the year,
year, unless
unless by
by unknown
unknown underunder-

ground channels.
channels.Among
Amongother
otherinteresting
interesting
collections
was
ground
collections
was
a a
Potygonz~m
made
important
adaptations
to to
Polygonum which
which seems
seemstotohave
have
made
important
adaptations
its
exceedingly
long,
and
its new
new conditions.
conditions.The
Thepotamogetons
potamogetonswere
were
exceedingly
long,
and
there is
is no
no doubt
doubtother
otherevidence
evidenceof
ofa aquick
quick
response
changed
there
response
toto
changed

environment
this
environment could
could be
beeasily
easilyfound.
found.The
Thefurther
furtherstudy
studyofof
this
lake will
will be
be undertaken
undertakenby
bythe
themembers
members
the
Station
staff
and
lake
ofof
the
Station
staff
and

their students
;their
students next
next season.

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