Taxella gracilicaulis (Jäderholm, 1903)

Fig. 2I

Taxella gracilicaulis – Ronowicz et al., 2017: 19, figs 7b, 9.

Material examined

PACIFIC OCEAN • several colonies, 5.5–20 cm high, some with gonothecae; off New Caledonia, stn DW4741; 22°52′ S, 167°41′ E; 210– 210 m; 23 Aug. 2016; KANACONO leg.; MNHN-IK-2015-571 .

Remarks

For a synonymy, a recent redescription and taxonomical notes, refer to Ronowicz et al. (2017). Good illustrations are to be found elsewhere: for the general appearance of the colony, see Jäderholm (1903, as Lytocarpus gracilicaulis), and for microscopic details Hirohito (1995, as Halicetta gracilicaulis). Its systematic affinities with Taxella eximia (Allman, 1874) are unsettled yet, as revealed by analyses with molecular markers (Ronowicz et al. 2017; Moura et al. 2018), and both may prove conspecific.

Distribution

South Africa (Millard 1975), Red Sea (Vervoort 1967), Indonesia (Billard 1913), Korea (Rho 1969), Japan (Jäderholm 1903; Hirohito 1995), Australia (Watson 1997).