Protula spp.

(Fig. 15 A–C)

Protula sp.— Stock 1988: 217 [Lizard Island; parasitized]; ten Hove & Smith 1990: 114 [Indonesia, Java]; Allen & Steene 1994: 130 [Indo-Pacific; colour photograph]; Colin & Arneson 1995: 154 [Indonesia, Papua New Guinea; colour photograph]; Nishi 1996: 312 [in dead coral, Okinawa, Japan]; Nishi & Asakura 1996: 56 –57 [Marianas]; Fiege & Sun 1999: 136 [Hainan Island, China]; Rouse & Pleijel 2001: plate 10b, insert [Qld; colour photograph]; Rousset et al. 2007: 48 [Qld, Australia; phylogeny].

Material examined. AM W.23094, stn.z 00-24(36)-4-8, between Bird and South Islets, 14°40'S, 145°28'E, from dead Porites blocks, coll. P. Hutchings, Jan 1987, det. P. Knight-Jones, 1995; AM W.28329, stn.18, lagoon near east entrance, 14°40'S, 145°28'E, sheltered side of reef, near sandy bottom, 3 Mar 1986; AM W.28424, stn.21, south of South Island, 14°42'S, 145°28'E, sloping silty reef, little coral cover, coll. H. ten Hove & P. Hutchings, 6 Mar 1986; AM W.28429, North Reef, 14°40'S, 145°27'E, underside of boulders on rock, low tide, little sand, coll.

H. ten Hove, 22 Jun 1983; AM W.28434, stn. 19, Turtle Beach, 14°40'S, 145°27'E, intertidal, boulders in sand, coll. H. ten Hove, 5 Mar 1986, det. H. ten Hove; AM W.44532, MI QLD 2371; AM W.45049, MI QLD 2406; AM W.45061, MI QLD 2413; AM W.45075, MI QLD 2417; AM W.45082, MI QLD 2423; AM W.45099, MI QLD 2435; AM W.47586, stn.G232, rubble between First Beach & Osprey Island, 1 m, coll. G. Rouse & E. Kupriyanova, 26 Oct 2005; MAGNT W025494, off Casuarina Beach, lagoon of Patch Reef, 14°40'48"S, 145°26'42"E, coral rubble, 2 m, coll. P. Bock; SAM E3588, stn.G246, off Granite Bluff, 7 m, coll. G. Rouse & E. Kupriyanova, 3 Nov 2005; SAM stn.G231, Coconut Beach, coll. G. Rouse & E. Kupriyanova, 26 Oct 2005; SAM stn.G235, Coconut Beach, 14°0'S, 145°0'E, coral rubble, coll. G. Rouse & E. Kupriyanova, 28 Oct 2005; ZMA V.Pol. 4707, between Bird and South Islets, 1–5 m, coll. P. Hutchings, 10 Mar 1986; ZMA V.Pol. 4718, between First Beach & Osprey Island, reef flat, dead corals & rubble in sand, 3–4 m, coll. H. ten Hove, 17 Jun 1983; ZMA V.Pol. 4721 (2), between Research Point & Freshwater Beach, in lagoon, subtidally, from dead coral cobbles on sand, 1 m, coll. H. ten Hove, 16 Jun 1983; ZMA V.Pol. 4723 (many), stn.22, between Osprey Island & beach of Resort, intertidal collecting at low tide, from below large boulders on rocky bottom, coll. H. ten Hove & P. Hutchings, 6 Mar 1986.

Remarks. The specimens collected at Lizard Island belong to an unknown number of most likely undescribed species (see Remarks after the generic diagnosis).

Distribution. Currently unknown.