Pennaria disticha Goldfuss, 1820

Synonyms in the area: Pennaria tiarella —Fraser 1938a, 1938b, 1939, 1948; Calder et al. 2003 [polyp]; Halocordyle sp. Vannucci, 1950 [polyp]; Halocordyle fragilis Vannucci, 1951a 1951b [polyp]; Halocordyle disticha –Vervoort 1967; Mergner 1977, abstract, 1987; Wedler 1975; Bandel & Wedler 1987; Migotto & Silveira 1987; Silveira & Migotto 1991; Pires et al. 1992; Grohmann 1997; Grohmann et al. 1997; Rosso & Marques 1997; Kelmo & Santa Isabel 1998; Amaral et al. 2009 [polyp].

Remarks: Vannucci (1950) recorded Halocordyle sp. for Brazilian waters and later named her material as Halocordyle fragilis Vannucci, 1951b . Silveira & Migotto (1991), based on the study of three total mounts, considered P. fragilis as a junior-synonym of P. disticha, both being “extremes of a range of morphological variation due to environmental influence” (Silveira & Migotto 1991:442).

Distribution in South America: polyp—Pacific Ocean, Ecuador, at 0.56°N 80.01°W in San Francisco Bay, at 2.18°S 80.90°W in La Libertad, at 2.19°S 80.90°W in Santa Elena Bay, from 0.27°N to 1.4°S in Galápagos Archipelago (Fraser 1938a, 1938b, 1939, 1948; Calder et al. 2003); Atlantic Ocean, Colombia, at Santa Marta coast, Venezuela, from Puerto Cabello to La Guaira, Brazil, at 3.93°S 32.37°W, from 6.50°S to 28°S (Vannucci 1950 1951a, 1951b, 1954; Vervoort 1967; Wedler 1975; Bandel & Wedler 1987; Mergner 1977, abstract, 1987; Migotto & Silveira 1987; Silveira & Migotto 1991; Pires et al. 1992; Migotto 1996; Rosso & Marques 1997; Calder & Maÿal 1998; Kelmo & Santa Isabel 1998; Grohmann 1997; Grohmann et al. 1997, 2003; Migotto et al. 2002; Marques & Migotto 2003; Bornancin et al. 2006, abstract; Grohmann 2006; Marques et al. 2006; Shimabukuro et al. 2006; Bornancin 2008; Bornancin & Haddad 2008, abstract; Campos & Alonso 2008, abstract; Maronna et al. 2008, abstract; Shimabukuro 2007; Amaral et al. 2009; Gondim et al. 2011; Grohmann et al. 2011; Kremer & Rocha, 2011; Silveira & Morandini 2011; Bumbeer & Rocha 2012; Marques et al. 2013; Fernandez et al. 2014, 2015; Miranda et al. 2015); medusa—Atlantic Ocean, from 23.70°S to 24°S (Migotto 1996).

Habitat: polyp—from intertidal zone to 27m depth, on rocky shores, calcareous sandstone reef, algae, ascidians, barnacles, scleractinians, hydroids, mussels, sponges, fauling, ceramic test-panels, nylon rope (Fraser 1938a; Migotto & Silveira 1987; Silveira & Migotto 1991; Migotto 1996; Calder & Maÿal 1998; Kelmo & Santa Isabel 1998; Calder et al. 2003; Bornancin et al. 2006; Marques et al. 2006; Shimabukuro et al. 2006; Bornancin 2008; Shimabukuro 2007; Bornancin & Haddad 2008; Kremer & Rocha 2011; Fernandez et al. 2014, 2015).