Verongia hirsuta var. fistularoides Hyatt, 1875

(Fig. 1A)

Verongia hirsuta var. fistularoides Hyatt, 1875: 403 (no illustration).

Verongia hirsuta; Poléjaeff 1884: pl. X figs. 1–3 (as V.h. var. fistularoides).

Aplysina hirsuta; Von Lendenfeld 1889: 422.

Verongia fistularis; De Laubenfels 1936: 21; 1948: 82, text-figs. 11–12.

The variety was described by Hyatt from Havana, Cuba, approximate coordinates 23.163197°N 82.378587°W, coll. Rafael Arango [holotype cited as ‘syntype’ but consisting of a fragment of a large single specimen MCZ PORa-6638 (143458)]. The species Verongia hirsuta Hyatt, 1875 was assigned to the synonymy of Aplysina fistularis (Pallas, 1766) by De Laubenfels (1948: 87), without referring to the two varietal names mentioned by Hyatt, V. h. var. fulvoides Hyatt, 1875 (see below) and the present V.h. var. fistularoides . Neither variety descriptions are accompanied by illustrations and apart from reference to the ‘hirsute’ condition of the dried blackish specimens they are barely recognizable. In case of varieties without indication which of them is the typical variety, the first author referring to them determines the nominotypical variety, and in this case Poléjaeff’s description, although not explicitly discussed as belonging to var. fistularoides, makes it clear he considered that variety as the typical variety (here illustrated with a scan of Poléjaeff’s pl. X fig. 1 in Fig. 1A). As the nominotypical variety this has to be renamed V. hirsuta var. hirsuta (ICZN art. 47.1). This is a clear junior synonym of Aplysina fistularis (Pallas, 1766) .