Australella Annandale, 1910

This genus was proposed in a footnote to include “zooecia recumbent, aggregated into small linear groups, which are connected with each other by stolon-like lobes and embedded in a structureless gelatinous mass. (Annandale 1910). The designated type species was Lophopus lendenfeldi from Australia (Ridley 1886), for which the published description lacked significant detail. Annandale (1915a) later described the typical colony of Australella as “a solid encrusting body closely compacted and agglutinated together by synocial jelly, but increasing in bulk mainly in one plane and without vertical branches.”

In addition to Australella lendenfeldi the genus Australella was applied to A. jheringi (Meissner, 1893) and A. indica Annandale, 1915 . However, the Australella concept never acquired much traction. Annandale himself seemed tentative about the genus, since no examples were known from India and there was never an opportunity to examine living material. Finally, after seeing a preserved specimen of Australella lendenfeldi, Annandale ceded the name to Jullien’s (1885) Hyalinella, in which colonies were more clearly dendritic (Annandale 1919). Australella is no longer considered valid.