Figs 2A–B, 4, 5A–F, 6A–C
Corallina setacea Ellis, 1755: 19, pl. 11a–A.
Sertularia setacea Linnaeus, 1758: 813.
Sertularia Templetoni Fleming, 1828: 543. [type locality: Loch of Belfast].
Plumularia setacea. – Hincks 1868: 296, fig. 34, pl. 66 fig. 1. – Nutting 1900: 56, pl. 1 figs 1-4. – Broch 1912: 20, fig. 4. – Billard 1913: 32, fig. 24. – Bedot 1914: 86. – Broch 1918: 55, fig. 24. – Ralph 1961: 33, figs 3e, 4a, c–d. – Vervoort 1966: 142, fig. 43. – Naumov 1969: 503, fig. 354. – Millard 1975: 399, fig. 124E–K. – Ramil & Vervoort 1992: 191, fig. 47f–i. – Cornelius 1995: 159, fig. 37. – Hirohito 1995: 278, fig. 95c–d. – Medel & Vervoort 1995: 56, fig. 24. – Calder 1997: 17, fig. 4. – Ramil, Vervoort, & Ansín Agís 1998: 37. – Ansín Agís, Ramil & Vervoort 2001: 238, fig. 91. – Watson 2000: 53, fig. 41A–B. – Schuchert 2001: 131, fig. 111A–B. – Peña Cantero & García Carrascosa 2002: 117, fig. 21c–d. – Vervoort & Watson 2003: 398, figs 96G, 97A–G, 98A. – Watson 2005: 549, Fig. 19A–D. – Galea 2007: 77, figs 18E–J. – Galea & Leclère 2007: 39, figs 1–3. – Galea 2010: 11 fig. 5A–C.
Plumularia tripartita von Lendenfeld, 1885a: 477, pl. 12 figs 8–10 [type localities: Port Phillip (Australia, Victoria) and Timaru, New Zealand].
Plumularia multinoda Allman, 1885: 157, pl. 26, figs 4–6 [type locality: Tauranga, New Zealand].
Plumularia turgida Bale, 1888: 779, pl. 20, figs 12–13 [type locality: Lyttleton, New Zealand].
Plumularia corrugata Nutting, 1900: 64, pl. 6 figs 1–3 [type locality: Brazil, 10 miles east off Petros Island].
Plumularia palmeri Nutting, 1900: 65, pl. 6 figs 4–5 [type locality: San Diego California].
Plumularia milleri Nutting, 1906: 951, pl. 5 fig. 1, pl. 12 figs 6–7 [type locality: north coast of the island of Maui, Hawaii, 95 fathoms].
Plumularia setacea f. typica Broch, 1912: 21 [type locality: Subarctic to temperate Atlantic].
Plumularia setacea var. microtheca Broch, 1912: 21 [type locality: Adriatic Sea].
Plumularia setacea var. Nuttingi Broch, 1912: 21 [type locality: for American P. setacea in Nutting (1900)].
Plumularia setacea var. elongata Bedot, 1921: 10, pl. 1 fig 1 [type locality: Pico, Azores, 98 m deep, on Nemertesia].
Plumularia setacea var. opima Bale, 1924: 254 [type locality: Tomahawk Bay, Dunedin, New Zealand].
Plumularia diploptera Totton, 1930: 222, fig. 59a–b [type locality: Spirits Bay, near North Cape, New Zealand, 20–36 m].
Plumularia setacea var. setacea Ralph, 1961: 33, figs 3e, 4a, 4c–d.
Material examined. Specimens listed in table 1 originating from the NE Atlantic and the NE Pacific, as well as MHNG-INVE-34012 and 34018, South Africa, False Bay, Simon's Town, Boulder Beach, 1–2 m, collected 11.01.2003.
Description of population from NE Atlantic. Pinnate colony arising from creeping, reticulate, tubular stolons. Few nematothecae occasionally present on stolons. Plumes 4–100 mm, delicate, stem monosiphonic, sometimes sparingly branched, carrying alternate hydrocladia on two sides, regularly and distinctly segmented by transverse nodes, each segment with a distal apophysis and 2–3 nematothecae: one near basal end and 1 or rarely 2 in upper axil of apophysis. Hydrocladia with 2–8 hydrothecae, segmented heteromerously, distinct nodes delimiting main- and intersegments (hydrothecate and ahydrothecate segments), most proximal segment short and without nematotheca. Main segments elongate, with hydrotheca in distal third, with three nematothecae: one median inferior and two laterals. Intersegments variable in length, with 1, rarely 2 median nematothecae. Both types of segments may have internal, annular ridges close to the ends, in main segments also sometimes additionally near hydrotheca base and inferior nematothecae, thickness of annular ridges variable, may be entirely absent. Hydrotheca cup-shaped, adcauline wall completely adnate, abcauline wall thin, straight of slightly curved outwards, rim smooth, perpendicular to segment axis, straight or somewhat curved. Nematothecae conical, walls straight, two chambered, movable. Colonies hermaphroditic or gonochoristic. Gonothecae never with nematothecae, dimorphic, on apophyses of stem, in hermaphrodites male ones more proximal, female ones more distal. Female gonotheca slender spindle-shaped to somewhat paddle-shaped, distal opening on long, slender neck giving often a bottle-like appearance to the whole gonotheca, neck straight or somewhat curved, planulae brooded in gonotheca. Male gonothecae shorter, spindle-shaped, terminal opening without distinct neck.
Dimensions. See table 1.
Type locality. Linnaeus based his name on Ellis (1755), who depicted material from Whitstable, Northeast Kent, England. Whitstable must thus be assumed as type locality.
Distribution. Reportedly nearly cosmopolitan in tropical and temperate coastal waters of Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Remarks. For a complete synonymy including also misspellings see Calder (1997). Other synonymies and discussions are found in Ansín Agís, Ramil & Vervoort, (2001) or Vervoort & Watson (2003).