First record of Porpita porpita (Linnaeus, 1758) (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa, Porpitidae) from the Red Sea of Egypt

Abstract

Although Porpita porpita is native to tropical and sub-tropical waters and widely occurred in the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific oceans and Mediterranean Sea, its occurrence has not been reported from Red Sea. Three specimens of P. porpita were collected in the middle littoral zone of the Egyptian Red Sea coast off Hurghada in December 2014. Specimens were fixed in 4% formaldehyde, and photographed under stereomicroscope for identification. The present study documented for the first time the occurrence of P. porpita in the Red Sea, and thus extends the geographical distribution of this genus.