Type species: Protoholozoa lilium Monniot et Monniot, 1982 .
Etymology: about the Antarctic research vessel “Scotia”, Scotish National Antarctic Expedition, SNAE.
Currently we include two former Protoholozoa species to this genus: P. lilium and P. cantarella.
The characters which separate Scotiazoa gen. nov. from Protoholozoa are fertilization/incubation mode and arrangement of the adhesive papillae. In Scotiazoa, larvae are incubated in a brood pouch and adhesive papillae are disposed in a triangle. In Protoholozoa, larvae are incubated in the atrial cavity and adhesive papillae are disposed in a line.
Waiting for further information on fertilization, modes of budding and disposition of adhesive papillae, we are maintaining P. australiensis, P. anthos and P. pigra. In addition, we keep all species in Holozoidae until there is a better definition of the family’s diagnostic characters. Additional well-fixed material is necessary for genetic investigations to specify the molecular relatedness of the different species.