Ellisella marisrubri ( Stiasny, 1938 )

Ramvilas, Ghosh, Alderslade, Philip & Ranjeet, Kutty, 2023, The taxonomy of Indian gorgonians: an assessment of the descriptive records of gorgonians (Anthozoa: Octocorallia: Alcyonacea) recorded as occurring in the territorial waters of India, along with neighbouring regions and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and the highlighting of perceived unethical practice, Zootaxa 5236 (1), pp. 1-124 : 90

Ellisella marisrubri ( Stiasny, 1938)

Gorgonella maris-rubri Stiasny, 1938: 159 , pl. 6, fig. 21–23; pl. 8, fig. D (Gulf of Suez).

Ellisella marisrubri Grasshoff 2000: 110 , figs. 197–198 (Northern Red Sea).

Opinion: There is no evidence that this species occurs in the region.

Justification:

These Indian records seem to be either invalid or unconfirmable: Kumar et al. 2014a: 16, pl. 5, fig. A–D (Havelock Is.); Fernando et al. 2017: 238, pl. 110, fig. A–D (Havelock Is.).

Literature analysis: This species was originally described as Gorgonella marisrubri from the Gulf of Suez and then described by Grasshoff (2000) as Ellisella marisrubri from the northern Red Sea, which we take to be accurate. Kumar et al. (2014a) and Fernando et al. (2017) both present an identical description that has mostly been copied from that of Grasshoff, even including the dimensions of the sclerites. Consequently, they state that their colony has polyps in 2 rows and only slightly elevated (as per Grasshoff’s text), whereas it is illustrated as having polyps all around and well elevated. Also, from Grasshoff they state that the tubercles on the sclerites are not clearly arranged in girdles, but that does not conform to some of their sclerite illustration, which are quite unlike those figured by Grasshoff. The overall result is that the true characteristics of the Indian material are unknown, but it does not appear to represent this species.