Sertularella gayi (Lamouroux, 1821)

Figure 5C–D

Sertularella gayi Lamouroux, 1821: 12, pl. 6, figs 8, 9.— Bale, 1915: 283.— Hargitt, 1924: 495, pl. 5, fig. 21.— Vervoort, 1966: 127, fig. 30.— Hirohito, 1969: 21. fig. 15.— Hirohito, 1983: 44.

Sertularella gayi f. gayi .— Ralph, 1961: 833, fig. 24 d–f.

? Sertularella gayi .— Hirohito, 1995: 192, fig. 63 a, b.

Sertularella gayi gayi .— Medel & Vervoort, 1998, 40, figs 10, 11.— Vervoort & Watson, 2003: 162, fig. 37 C–J.— Bouillon et al., 2006: 386, fig. 181 A–D.

Material examined. SAM H2339, preserved colony; two microslides (SAM H2579, H2580). PIRSA Stn IBMP 2c.

Description. One colony or several fragmented infertile colonies without hydrorhizae. Stems irregularly branched at angle of 60–80°, branches robust, monosiphonic, internodes more or less cylindrical, increasing slightly in width distally beside hydrotheca, oblique node just above axillar hydrotheca as a strong indentation in perisarc.

Hydrothecae biseriate, short, conical, narrowing from floor to margin, one almost distal on internode, perisarc smooth to weakly undulated, free adcauline wall straight to slightly concave, fixed adcauline wall convex, abcauline wall almost straight to weakly concave, ratio of adnate adcauline wall to free adcauline wall 1.8:2.4. Floor transverse. Margin with four low equidistant cusps, some margins with one or two replications.

Colour (preserved material) pale honey yellow; perisarc thick throughout.

FIGURE 5A–D.

5A–B. Halecium ralphae Watson & Vervoort, 2001 . A, hydrocladium. B, hydrophore and hydrotheca. 5C– D. Sertularella gayi (Lamouroux, 1821) . C, stem and hydrocladium. D, hydrotheca.

Stem (branch)

internode length 880–1080 width at node 288–344 Hydrotheca

abcauline length 496–528 length free adcauline wall 200–288 length adnate adcauline wall 480–520 width of margin 320–336 width of floor 240–320

Remarks. Bale (1915) recorded Sertularella gayi from 80–300 fthms (144–540 m) from the eastern slope of Bass Strait.

Distribution. A n ew record for the Great Australian Bight.