Haeckel
Diagnosis: Spheroidal to ovoidal lattice shell with triangular mesh openings. Radial tubes 1-3 times as long as pyramidal bars, with crown of 12-30 recurved, pointed, terminal branches, partially fused at base. Distal subcoronal region of hook-like lateral thorns, sometimes in irregular verticils. Sometimes a few single, curved thorns on proximal part of tubes.
Besides the nominate subspecies (named A. v. typica by Haeckel, Auloscena verticillus typica), two subspecies have been reported from the South Atlantic: A. v. hamata Borgert (12-25 terminal branches, 6-8 subcoronal lateral thorns; Auloscena verticillus hamata); A. v. laevis Haecker (12-16 terminal branches, 3-8 subcoronal lateral thorns).
Diameter: 1.85-3.75 mm.