Velella velella (Linnaeus, 1758)

OLIVEIRA, OTTO M. P., MIRANDA, THAÍS P., ARAUJO, ENILMA M., AYÓN, PATRICIA, CEDEÑO-POSSO, CRISTINA M., CEPEDA-MERCADO, AMANCAY A., CÓRDOVA, PABLO, CUNHA, AMANDA F., GENZANO, GABRIEL N., HADDAD, MARIA ANGÉLICA, MIANZAN, HERMES W., MIGOTTO, ALVARO E., MIRANDA, LUCÍLIA S., MORANDINI, ANDRÉ C., NAGATA, RENATO M., NASCIMENTO, KARINE B., JÚNIOR, MIODELI NOGUEIRA, PALMA, SERGIO, QUIÑONES, JAVIER, RODRIGUEZ, CAROLINA S., SCARABINO, FABRIZIO, SCHIARITI, AGUSTÍN, STAMPAR, SÉRGIO N., TRONOLONE, VALQUÍRIA B. & MARQUES, ANTONIO C., 2016, Census of Cnidaria (Medusozoa) and Ctenophora from South American marine waters, Zootaxa 4194 (1), pp. 1-256 : 45-46

Velella velella (Linnaeus, 1758)

Synonyms in the area: Velella nimbosa —Barattini & Ureta 1961 [polyp]; Velella spirans —Moyano & Valdovinos 1984 p. 173-174 [polyp].

Distribution in South America: polyp—Pacific Ocean, Chile, at 41.516°S 73.683°W (Moyano & Valdovinos 1984 p. 173-174); Atlantic Ocean, Brazil to Argentina, from 0° (Equator) to 5°S, from 23°S to 46°S (Barattini & Ureta 1961; Alvariño 1981; Mianzan & Girola 1990; Migotto et al. 2002; Failla-Siquier 2006; Genzano et al. 2008a; Silveira & Morandini 2011; Lindner et al. 2014).

Habitat: polyp—pleustonic and oceanic species (Alvariño 1981); occasionally large populations stranded on beaches.