After 90 d, differences in immature gonozooid production between 4-mm and 12-mm treatments were highly significant for all colonies except colony I (Table 3, Fig.
Not only were instances of overgrowth attributable to colony morphology, but immature gonozooid production (and growth rate to a lesser degree) also varied as a function of the morphology of the competitors.
Compared to colonies in freshwater, colonies in brackish water generally have taller hydrocauli, more and larger
gonozooids, and more and longer tentacles (Kinne, 1958).
Around the gastrozooid there are polyps specialized in reproduction (
gonozooids), and between them at the type of the umbel, are circles of polyps specialized in defense (dactylozooids), arm-ed with many cnidoblasts borne in small spheres that may completely cover the specimen.
The initiation of medusa production was defined as the day after the first medusa buds became visible on
gonozooids of the colony.
symbiolongicarpus colonies have a greater mean time from metamorphosis to the appearance of mature
gonozooids (mean [+ or -] standard error in days; 53.2 [+ or -] 1.22 versus 68.4 [+ or -] 7.09).