Sphaerococcus aculeatus Hering, 1841: 91–92, nom. illeg. (type locality: Port Natal [Durban], South Africa).
Gelidium aculeatum Hering in Krauss, 1846: 210.—J. Agardh, 1852 [1851–1863]: 629.— J. Agardh, 1876: 603.— Barton, 1893: 173.
Gigartina aculeata (Hering) Kützing, 1868: 3, pl. 6: figs. a, b.
Corallopsis aculeata (Hering) Holmes, 1894a: 336, pl. xviii: figs. 16–20.—Barton, 1896: 198.— Holmes, 1896a: 87.— De Toni, 1900: 460–461.— Mazza, 1907 [1905–1918]: 139–140.— Delf & Michell, 1921: 108.— Stephenson, 1939: 534.— Stephenson, 1944: 300, 350.— Stephenson, 1947: 303.— Isaac, 1953: 66.
Gracilaria aculeata (Hering) Papenfuss, 1967: 99, 100.—Seagrief, 1977: 90.— Simons, 1977: 55, fig. 164.— Brown & Jarman, 1978: 1256.— Seagrief, 1980: 26, fig. on pl. 8.— Seagrief, 1988: 54, fig. 5:9.— Farrell, Critchley, & Aken, 1993: 153.— Branch et al., 1994: 330, pl. 157.6.
Sphaerococcus heringii Kützing, 1849: 775.
INDIAN OCEAN DISTRIBUTION: South Africa.
Note: Sphaerococcus aculeatus Hering, the intended basionym of Gracilaria aculeata, is not priorable since it is a later homonym of Sphaerococcus aculeatus (Linnaeus) Stackhouse (1797 [1795–1801]: xxiv) (Desmarestia aculeata (Linnaeus) Lamouroux (q.v.)). Gelidium aculeatum Hering is treated as a nomen novum in accordance with Art. 58.3. If the species were placed in Sphaerococcus the substitute name Sphaerococcus heringii Kützing would be correct.