Haloclavidae Verrill 1899

Family Haloclavidae Verrill, 1899

Diagnosis (after Rodríguez & López-González 2003). Body elongate, without basilar musculature; aboral end physa-like, physa sometimes broadly adherent. Column rarely divisible into physa, scapus and scapulus; may have parapet and deep fosse; smooth or with hollow or solid papillae or suckers, with or without cinclides. No sphincter or rarely weak or moderately developed diffuse one. Tentacles short, sometimes capitate, usually simple, never numerous, the inner shorter or of same length as the outer ones. Single, ventral, very strong siphonoglyph, occasionally more or less completely separated from rest of actinopharynx and drawn out at its oral end into more or less folded conchula. Perfect pairs of mesenteries vary in number, usually all macrocnemes. Retractors usually strong. Parietobasilar musculature usually distinct. Cnidom: spirocysts, basitrichs, microbasic p -mastigophores, microbasic b -mastigophores, microbasic amastigophores.

Type genus: Haloclava Verrill, 1899

Included genera. Anemonactis Andres, 1881; Eloactis Andres, 1883; Haloclava Verrill, 1899; Harenactis Torrey, 1902; Mesacmaea Andres, 1883; Metapeachia Carlgren, 1943; Peachia Gosse, 1855; Philomedusa Müller, 1860; Stephanthus Rodríguez & López-González, 2003; Synpeachia Yap, Fautin, Ramos & Tan, 2014.

Remarks. According to Fautin et al. (2007), the monospecific genera Eloactis and Philomedusa are valid, however, the descriptions of these genera are incomplete and type material is not available. For this reason, the status of Eloactis and Philomedusa is considered uncertain until further revision.