Verrucella gubalensis Grassoff, 2000

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 : 101

Verrucella gubalensis Grassoff, 2000

Verrucella gubalensis Grasshoff, 2000: 114 , fig. 204&205 (Gulf of Suez).

Opinion: There is not enough evidence that this species occurs in the region, and the Indian material is probably the same as at least one of the other Verrucella species described by Fernando (2011) and Fernando et al. (2017).

Justification:

These Indian records seem to be either invalid or unconfirmable: Fernando 2011: 118–119, pl. 78, fig. 1–1c (SE coast); Kumar et al. 2014a: 40, pl. 17, fig. A–D (Andaman Is.); Fernando et al. 2017: 270, pl. 126, fig. 1–1c (SE coast).

These Indian records appear to represent an identical species: Fernando 2011: 120, pl. 80, fig. 1–1c (Pamban); Fernando et al. 2017: 276, pl. 129, fig. 1–1c (Pamban).

Literature analysis: The descriptions of the Indian material assigned to this species by Fernando (2011) and Fernando et al. (2017) are identical, but the sclerite images are so small that it is impossible to compare them with those figured in the description of the holotype. Grasshoff (1999) reports the species has double heads 0.04–0.08 mm long and slightly larger than the 0.05–0.07 mm long spindles in the polyps. Fernando (2011) and Fernando et al. (2017) report double heads of exactly the same size as in the holotype, but the spindles are up to 0.10 mm long. On the information given, the specimen appears to be the same as Verrucella pambanensis Fernando, 2011 . The description of that species says both the double heads and the spindles are up to 0.7 mm, but a figure shows a spindle 0.1 mm long.

A completely different looking specimen is assigned to this species in Kumar et al. (2014a), but the true characteristics of the material are unknown because much of the description is taken word-for-word from Grasshoff’s original text, including even the same sclerite measurements, and some of the figured sclerites can also be found in modified form in Fernando et al.’s (2017) description of Ellisella eustala and some in the Fernando et al. (2017) description of Ellisella azilia . Kumar et al. (2015) lists the species and provide a colony figure, while Kumar et al. (2018a) just lists the species. This species is probably endemic to the Red Sea.