Corresponding author: Leen P. van Ofwegen (
Academic editor: B.W. Hoeksema
The
van Ofwegen LP (2016) The genus
This is the second in a series of publications in which nephtheid genera are revised. The first (
International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature
Examination of the types of most species of
Naturalis Biodiversity Center (formerly Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie,
Naturhistorisches Museum Wien, Austria
Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, Australia
Uppsala UniversityZoological Museum, Uppsala, Sweden
Museum für Naturkunde der Humboldt-Universität, Berlin, Germany
Zoologisches Museum Hamburg, Germany
Zoological Museum, Department of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, 69978 Tel Aviv, Israel
For the technical terms used in the descriptions, see the glossary compiled by
Four permanent microscope slides have been made for each specimen examined, which are kept at
Sclerite drawings have been made using the permanent microscope slides. As most old museum specimens examined contained a large amount of broken sclerites, SEM images were produced of recently collected material.
All the
Nephtheids with bushy and arborescent colonies. Polyps clustered at the end of the terminal branches, forming catkins. Polyps non-retractile, without or with supporting bundle, sometimes completely unarmed. Sclerites of surface layer of branches, stem and stalk are spindles and unilateral spinose spindles, the colony stalk also contains capstans and derivatives of capstans. Interior of the stalk has sparsely tuberculated spindles. Colonies zooxantellate.
Because of the synonymy of
Colony shape did not prove to provide a reliably constant character. A good example is
The polyp armature showed some useful characters but some sclerite arrangements were observed in various species:
The sclerites of
BM 1912.2.25.12 (holotype) and BM 1933.3.13.148 (holotype fragment) were re-examined. Despite disintegrated sclerites, it was obvious that the species belongs to
BM 1933.3.13.150 (part of syntype) was re-examined. Despite disintegrated sclerites it was obvious that the species belongs to
1 | Supporting bundle projecting |
|
– | Supporting bundle not projecting |
|
2 | Polyp stalk with rodlets |
|
– | Polyp stalk without rodlets |
|
3 | Internal spindles of the base of the stalk mostly with blunt ends |
|
– | Internal spindles of the base of the stalk mostly with pointed ends |
|
4 | Base of stalk surface sclerites straight |
|
– | Base of stalk surface spindles curved |
|
5 | Polyps without sclerites or mostly small rodlets |
|
– | Polyps with spindles |
|
6 | Internal spindles of the base of the stalk heavily branched. |
|
– | Internal spindles of the base of the stalk not branched, several with blunt ends |
|
7 | Adaxial side of polyps without sclerites |
|
– | Adaxial side of polyps with sclerites |
|
8 | Internal spindles of the base of the stalk very small, most about 0.5 mm long or shorter |
|
– | Internal spindles of the base of the stalk at least 1.0 mm long |
|
9 | Internal spindles of the base of the stalk slender, up to 0.15 mm wide, few in number |
|
– | Internal spindles of the base of the stalk wide, up to 0.25 mm wide, many present; spindles with blunt ends can be present |
|
10 | Larger internal spindles of the base of the stalk heavily branched |
|
– | Larger internal spindles of the base of the stalk not branched |
|
11 | Internal spindles of the base of the stalk up to 2.0 mm long |
|
– | Internal spindles of the base of the stalk up to about 1.0 mm long |
|
12 | Internal spindles of the base of the stalk mostly unbranched, with regular tuberculation |
|
– | Internal spindles of the base of the stalk often branched, with irregular tuberculation |
|
Red Sea: Gulf of Suez, Gulf of Aqaba.
The species is sufficiently described by
The species is characterized by the presence of branched spindles of the surface layer of the base of the stalk and the presence of large internal spindles in the base of the stalk, sometimes with blunt ends or branched.
The neotype is 5 cm high and 7.5 cm wide; the colony stalk is 2–3 cm high (Figure
The polyps (Figure
Red Sea, Socotra.
The microscope slide of the stalk of
Two of the 14 microscope slides of
Madagascar.
The species is sufficiently described by
The neotype is 4 cm high and 6.5 cm wide; the colony stalk is 1 cm high (Figure
The polyps are up to about 0.5 mm wide and high (Figure
Gulf of Aqaba.
The species resembles
It is noteworthy that
The flabby holotype
The polyps are up to about 0.5 mm wide and 0.6 mm high (Figure
The Latin “curvum”, curve, curved object or line, refers to the curved spindles from the surface of the stalk.
Red Sea: Gulf of Aqaba, Dahlak Archipelago.
To show variation, the sclerites of
The species can be confused with
Only known from the type locality Madagascar.
The species is sufficiently described by
The species mostly resembles
The holotype is 8 cm high and 5 cm wide; the short colony stalk divides in several main stems shortly above its base (Figure
The polyps are up to about 0.7 mm high and 0.6 mm wide (Figure
Red Sea: Gulf of Suez, Dahlak Archipelago.
The species can be confused with
Only known from the type locality Madagascar.
The species is sufficiently described by
The species mostly resembles
The specimens from Madagascar identified by Verseveldt as
The holotype is 3.5 cm high and 5 cm wide (Figure
The polyps have small rodlets and spindles, situated in the tentacles and both the lateral and abaxial parts of the polyp (Figure
Maldives, Red Sea, Socotra.
The characteristics of specimen BMNH 1962.7.20.124 agree with the description of
The species can be confused with
SEM images of the sclerites of
The colony is 3 cm high and wide, the colony stalk 2 cm high (Figure
Polyps up to about 0.6 mm wide and high (Figure
Red Sea, Indian Ocean.
Most colonies examined have slender branches and resemble species of
After the very short original description of
During my visit to the Berlin museum I was unable to find Ehrenberg's, specimen, later on Dr. Goetz Reinicke was so kind to provide me with photographs of a specimen that could be that particular one, though with a question mark (Figure
The specimen described above is from the Vienna Museum (
Sclerites of
Although not re-examined I consider
In the Red Sea
Unfortunately,
The two
The polyps are up to about 0.65 mm wide and 0.8 mm high. Supporting bundle not projecting, composed of spindles with simple tubercles, outer side and distal end with more tubercles. Length of these spindles is up to 1.1 mm. Polyp body sclerites irregularly arranged, the smallest are present adaxially; abaxially they merge into the smaller spindles of the supporting bundle and have larger tubercles on the outer side. The tentacle sclerites resemble the smallest adaxial polyp sclerites.
Red Sea, Socotra, Chagos Archipelago.
The microscope slides of transparent polyps made by
The species also resembles
For showing variation sclerites of
The stiff lectotype is 7 cm long and 5 cm wide (Figure
The polyps are up to 0.80 in height and up to 0.90 in width (Figure
Red Sea, Socotra, Chagos Archipelago, Madagascar.
In the catalogue of the
The lectotype SMF 1279 has some supporting bundle spindles with a somewhat leafy projecting end (not depicted);
The type material of
Colonies flabby, end lobes finger-like. Polyps with irregularly arranged, smooth rodlets adaxially and spiny rodlets abaxially; these rodlets are up to 0.1 mm long. Sometimes a few spindles are also present in the polyp stalk; sometimes the polyps are unarmed. Surface base of stalk with radiates, derivatives of these, and unilateral spinose spindles, the latter up to 0.5 mm long; many with side branches. Interior base of stalk with spindles up to 1 mm long; they can have side branches.
Colony flabby, 10.5 cm long and 7 cm wide (Figure
Red Sea, East Africa.
Syntype
The difference between
Apart from being much smaller (Figure
The colony fragment of
The holotype of
Polyp armatures.
Polyp armatures
I thank Dr. Yehuda Benayahu (