Galapagos Species Database

The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.

Macrorhynchia philippina Kirchenpauer, 1872

hidroide, Hydroids

Colonies are large, pulmose, extensively branched, 5-10 cm high, and appear white underwater. A venomous species.

Common throughout Galapagos,and tolerant to strong current.

Taxonomy

Domain
Eukaryota

Kingdom
Animalia

Phylum
Cnidaria

Class
Hydrozoa

Order
Leptothecata

Suborder
Conica

Family
Aglaopheniidae

Genus
Macrorhynchia

Species
philippina

Taxon category: Accepted

Syn.: Aglaophenia (Macrorhynchia) Philippina Kirchenpauer, 1872, Aglaophenia (Macrorhynchia) urens Kirchenpauer, 1872, Lytocarpus philippinus (Kirchenpauer, 1872), Lytocarpus phillippinus (Kirschenpauer, 1872) (Horton et al., 2021).

Origin: Introduced - established

Status

IUCN Red List Category: Not evaluated

Introduction

Year of first record: 1934

Mode of introduction: Accidental

Introduction Pathway: Stowaway

Subpathway: Hitchhiker on transport vehicles/cargo

Introduced status: Naturalized

Invasive status: Under watch

Distribution

Map of specimen collection localities or observation records for this species in our collections database.

Distribution: (A. philippina) Colombia, Hood Island, James Island, Ecuador; La Libertad, Mexican, Isabel Island and Galapagos Island (Fraser, 1938) in Santiago I and Sulivan Bay (Fraser, 1948).

References

  • Appeltans, W. Bouchet, P., Boxshall, G.A., Fauchald, K., Gordon, D.P., Hoeksema, B.W., Poore, G.C.B., van Soest, R.W.M., Stöhr, S., Walter, T.C., Costello, M.J. (eds.) (2010) World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS). Available online at http://www.marinespecies.org.
  • Hickman, C.P. Jr. (2008) A field guide to corals and other radiates of Galápagos. Sugar Spring Press, Lexington, Virginia, 162 pp.
  • Calder, D.R. Mallinson, J.J., Collins, K. & Hickman, C.P. (2003) Additions to the Hydroids (Cnidaria) of the Galapagos, with a List of Species Reported from the Islands. J. Nat. Hist. 37:1173-1218.
  • Horton, T. Horton, T., Kroh, A., Ahyong, S., Bailly, N., Boyko, C. B., Brandão, S. N., Gofas, S., Hooper, J. N. A., Hernandez, F., Holovachov, O., Mees, J., Molodtsova, T. N., Paulay, G., Decock, W., Dekeyzer, S., Poffyn, G., Vandepitte, L., Vanhoorne, B., Adlard, R., ... Zhao, Z. (2021) World Register of Marine Species. Available from https://www.marinespecies.org at VLIZ.
  • Freaser, McLean (1948) Hydroids of the Allan Hancock Pacific Expeditions since March, 1938. Fraser, M. (1948). Hydroids of the Allan Hancock Pacific Expeditions since March, 1938. In Allan Hancock Pacific Expeditions. (5th ed., pp. 179–334).
  • Fraser, C. M. (1938) Hydroids of the 1932, 1933, 1935 and 1938 Allan Hancock Pacific Expeditions In Allan Hancock Pacific Expeditions (pp. 1–152)

You are welcome to download and use the information found in this page, acknowledging its source.

This page should be cited as follows:

"Galapagos Species Database, Macrorhynchia philippina", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=7890. Accessed 20 May 2025.