Hydroids of the families Kirchenpaueriidae Stechow, 1921 and Plumulariidae McCrady, 1859 (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa) collected in the Western Pacific Ocean by various French Expeditions

This publication is the third in a series of accounts on large collections of Plumularioidea McCrady, 1859 (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa, Hydroidolina) obtained during several French expeditions to the Philippines region, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Fiji, and the Marquesas Islands. Additional material from Mozambique was also examined and is discussed. A total of 17 species, belonging to the families Kirchenpaueriidae Stechow, 1921 (two species) and Plumulariidae McCrady, 1859 (15 species), are scrutinized and illustrated in the present report. Three new species of the genus Plumularia Lamarck, 1816 are described (Plumularia bathyale n. sp., Plumularia contraria n. sp., Plumularia pseudocontraria n. sp.). The name Plumularia milsteinae n. nom., is proposed for Plumularia spiralis Milstein 1976, a permanently invalid junior homonym of Plumularia spiralis Billard, 1911. Polyplumaria kossowskae (Billard, 1911) is recorded for the first time since its original description. Two species of Plumularia are identified only to the genus level. Type materials of Plumularia habereri Stechow, 1909 and Dentitheca hertwigi Stechow, 1909, and the syntypes of all varieties of Plumularia habereri described by Billard (1913), have also been examined.