"Plumatella mukaii was long confused with another species, Plumatella emarginata. A Japanese biologist, Hideo Mukai, published many studies on this species, thinking it was Plumatella emarginata. It was only after his death in 1998 that I discovered this was a new species, which I named in honor of Mukai.

Plumatella mukaii occurs throughout Japan; it has also been found in northwestern United States and in central Chile. In Thailand it appears not to be very common. We have found it only in a few sites."

-- Timothy S. Wood