Dated: 11 March 1996
The hydrozoan jellyfish Polyorchis penicillatus is widely distributed along the west coast of Vancouver Island, as well as among the Gulf Islands and the Queen Charlotte Islands (Arai & Brinckmann-Voss 1980). There has been only one report of the species from Queen Charlotte Strait, at Alert Bay (Brinckmann-Voss 1974).
This note is to report the presence of large numbers of P. penicillatus in Hardy Bay, Port Hardy, BC. From the 1st of July till the 15th of September, the animals were distributed from at least the seaward end of the municipal docks to at least the Quarterdeck Marina 1.5 naut. miles further into the bay. The density peaked around the 1st of September at about 15 animals m-3 in the top 10m of the water column. After the 21st of September, the large numbers had disappeared.
One individual was also observed in Allison Harbour (51 02 38 N, 127 30 45 W), on the north side of Queen Charlotte Strait, on the 30th of July. This is the first record of P. penicillatus on the Central Coast of British Columbia.
Arai MN, Brinckmann-Voss A (1980) Hydromedusae of British Columbia and Puget Sound. Can Bull Fish Aquat Sci 204: 192p.
Brinckmann-Voss A (1974) British Columbia faunistic survey report on the Hydrozoa: Pt.I. Medusae. Fish Res Board Can Tech Rep 492: 21p.