Sertularella geodiae Totton, 1930

Horia R. Galea, Dirk Schories, Verena Häussermann & Günter Försterra, 2017, Taxonomic revision of the genus Sertularella (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa) from southern South America and the subantarctic, with descriptions of five new species, Revue suisse de Zoologie 124 (2), pp. 255-321 : 281

Sertularella geodiae Totton, 1930

Fig. 11A; Table 11

Sertularella geodiae Totton, 1930: 196 , text-fig. 43, pl. 3 figs

7-8.

non Sertularella geodiae . – Vervoort, 1972: 120, fig. 37 (=? S. hermanosensis El Beshbeeshy, 2011 ). – Blanco, 1976: 39, pl. 3 figs 7-8; 1994: 199 (= Sertularella blanconae El Beshbeeshy, 2011 ).

Description: Colonies up to 15 cm high, arising from large rooting masses; irregularly pinnate; stems and branches fascicled and well defined, divided into rather short, slightly geniculate internodes by means of oblique constrictions of the perisarc slanting in alternate directions; a hydrotheca to the distal end of each internode. Side branches given off laterally from below the bases of stem hydrothecae; structure similar to that of stem. Hydrothecae biseriate, alternate, coplanar; large, flask-shaped, adnate for 3/5th their adaxial length, swollen adaxially; a typical notch at junction between proximal part of free adaxial wall with corresponding internode; abaxial wall slightly sigmoid (imperceptibly concave for most of its length, becoming suddenly convex below aperture); free adaxial wall with slight “shoulder” proximally, perisarc undulated; margin with 4 short, sharp, triangular cusps separated by very shallow, semicircular embayments; occasionally 3 submarginal, intrathecal projections of perisarc, 2 latero-adaxial, and one abaxial; a 4-flapped operculum. Gonothecae borne on both stem and side branches, arising from below the hydrothecal bases; elongatedovoid, wall transversely-wrinkled, aperture surrounded by 3-4 apical cusps.

Dimensions: See Table 11.

Remarks: The description given above combines the original account with that provided by Vervoort & Watson (2003). As stated by these authors, S. geodiae differs from S. gayi ( Lamouroux, 1821) through its much larger hydrothecae, the occasional presence of submarginal cusps, and the apical part of its gonotheca. The typical shape of a colony fragment is illustrated by Totton (1930, pl. 3 fig. 8).

Distribution: (?) Chile – Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena [eastern coast of Tierra del Fuego ( Naumov & Stepanjants, 1962, as S. geodia ). New Zealand and New Caledonia ( Vervoort & Watson, 2003).