Pennariidae McCrady, 1859

Calder, Dale R., 2010, Some anthoathecate hydroids and limnopolyps (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa) from the Hawaiian archipelago 2590, Zootaxa 2590 (1), pp. 1-91 : 62-63

Family Pennariidae McCrady, 1859

Pennaridae McCrady, 1859:148 [emended to Pennariidae by Hincks (1868)].

Diagnosis. Capitate hydroids with erect colonies; stems monosiphonic, pinnately branched, with branches giving rise to hydranth pedicels on upper side only; perisarc firm. Hydranths naked, clavate, with an aboral whorl of long, filiform or slightly capitate tentacles, an oral whorl of short, capitate tentacles, and one or more intermediate whorls of capitate tentacles.

Gonophores eumedusoids, borne on hydranth just distal to aboral tentacles, sometimes liberated and sometimes not. Eumedusoids with short manubrium; radial canals four; tentacle bulbs four; marginal tentacles rudimentary or absent; gonads surrounding manubrium.

Remarks. The name Halocordylidae Stechow, 1921a had earlier been applied by many authors to this taxon. With current acceptance of the generic name Pennaria Goldfuss, 1820 as valid and predating Halocordyle Allman, 1872 , the family name Pennariidae McCrady, 1859 has precedence over Halocordylidae and is used here.

Pennariidae presently includes a single genus, Pennaria , with eight species ( Schuchert 2009).