Sertularella novarae Marktanner-Turneretscher 1890

Sertularella novarae Marktanner-Turneretscher,

1890

Fig. 14 J-L; Table 19

Sertularella novarae Marktanner-Turneretscher, 1890: 226, pl. 4 figs 3, 3A, 3B. – Bedot, 1916: 208.

Sertularella polyzonias. – p.p. Vanhöffen, 1910: 322, fig. 39 [non S. polyzonias (Linnaeus, 1758)].

Material examined: ZMB Cni944; French Southern and Antarctic Lands, St. Paul I., coll. Deutsche Südpolar (Gauss) Expedition 1901-1903, stranded on beach; 26.03.1903; six stems and fragments, 0.5-1.4 cm high, of which four bear one gonotheca each [material studied by Vanhöffen (1910), as S. polyzonias].

Description: Upright, up to 2.5 cm high, monosiphonic, sparingly-branched stems arising from filamentous hydrorhiza; divided by faintly-indicated, oblique nodes into moderately-long, geniculate internodes with 1-2 basal twists and a hydrotheca distally; terminal stolonization occurs. Side branches arising irregularly from below the bases of stem hydrothecae, as well as from within their lumena; up to 2nd order branching, giving the colonies a somewhat bushy appearance. Hydrothecae biseriate, alternate, long, about 1/3rd adnate, tumid proximally, tapering distally, with 4 triangular marginal cusps separated by shallow embayments; 5 internal, submarginal cusps (2 lateroadaxial, 2 latero-abaxial, and 1 abaxial). Gonothecae arising from below the hydrothecal bases; elongatedovoid, transversely wrinkled, tapering abruptly below into indistinct pedicel, aperture surrounded by 3-4 blunt, apical projections.

Dimensions: See Table 19.

Remarks: As noted by Vanhöffen (1910), there is no doubt that his material from St. Paul belongs to the present species. Indeed, both the measurements of the hydrothecae and the illustration provided by him are in agreement with the original account on this species. However, his specimens from Kerguelen, also assigned to it, were reexamined and proved to belong to both S. contorta Kirchenpauer, 1884 and S. gaudichaudi (Lamouroux, 1824) (see under these species).

Curiously, Vanhöffen overlooked the rather obvious specific differences between a number of closely-related subantarctic species [viz. S. allmani Hartlaub, 1901, S. antarctica Hartlaub, 1901, S. contorta Kirchenpauer, 1884, S. novarae, S. paessleri Hartlaub, 1901, S. picta (Meyen, 1834), and S. protecta Hartlaub, 1901], and assigned them all to the synonymy of S. polyzonias (Linnaeus, 1758), a species not known to occur in the study area (see Appendix I).

As underlined by him, the present species is a true Sertularella, in possessing 4 hydrothecal cusps, not 3, as erroneously stated by Marktanner-Turneretscher (1890). A typical colony of this species is accurately illustrated by Vanhöffen (1910, p. 325, fig. 39).

Distribution: French Southern and Subantarctic Lands – St. Paul (Marktanner-Turneretscher, 1890; Vanhöffen, 1910, as S. polyzonias).