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This pallid-colored Bugula species can best be distinguished from the superficially similar B. stolonifera and B. californica by the placement of the avicularia (red arrows) near the bases of the zooecia. While B. californica has been reported for San Francisco Bay, we have not detected it in our surveys, and its correct identification in the past has been questioned by other authorities. B. californica differs in the branching pattern, as well as in the placement of the avicularia and the nature of the ovicell.
Bugula pacifica
This pallid-colored Bugula species can best be distinguished from the superficially similar B. stolonifera and B. californica by the placement of the avicularia (red arrows) near the bases of the zooecia. While B. californica has been reported for San Francisco Bay, we have not detected it in our surveys, and its correct identification in the past has been questioned by other authorities. B. californica differs in the branching pattern, as well as in the placement of the avicularia and the nature of the ovicell.