Stylatula Verrill, 1864

Williams, Gary C. & Matsumoto, Asako K., 2015, A Review of the Pennatulacean Genus Stylatula, with the Description of a New Species from Japan (Cnidaria: Octocorallia), Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 62 (8), pp. 257-266 : 258

Genus Stylatula Verrill, 1864

GENERIC DIAGNOSIS.— Virgulariid pennatulaceans with slender, bilateral, often vermiform colony shape. Axis present throughout colony length, most often round in transverse section. Polyp leaves subtended by fanlike armatures of spindle-like to needle-like sclerites, which may or may not be three-flanged. Sclerites from other parts of colony inconspicuous to absent.

TYPE SPECIES.— Virgularia elongata ( Gabb, 1862) ; subsequent designation by Verrill , 1864; type locality California .

ETYMOLOGY.— The generic name is derived from the Greek Stylos: a style, stake, or pillar.

SYSTEMATICS AND PHYLOGENETIC ASSESSMENT.— The genus Stylatula contains thirteen described species from the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans ( Japan to Norway), between approximately 65° north and 50° south latitude ( Fig. 9 ). With the addition of the new species described here, thirteen species are considered valid; known geographic range Atlantic and Pacific Oceans ( Japan to North & South America to Norway and Namibia), 0–1020 m in depth ( Williams 1995:122; Williams 2011:6; Williams 2014). The genus Stylatula differs from other genera in the family Virgulariidae by the presence of a conspicuous fan-shaped armature subtending each polyp leaf, comprised of relatively robust sclerites. Of the five described genera in the family, only Stylatula , Acanthoptilum , and Scytalium have sclerites in the rachis and polyp leafs, while Virgularia and Scytaliopsis do not.

Figures

FIGURE 9. Map of the Pacific and Indian Oceans showing the known geographic distribution of the genus Stylatula. Arrows point to type localities of 11 of the species. Localities of S. lacazi and S. kinsbergi are not known.