Verrucella ixoboloides Fernando, 2011

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 : 101-102

Verrucella ixoboloides Fernando, 2011 (species status uncertain)

Verrucella ixoboloides Fernando, 2011: 119–120 , pl. 79, fig. 1–1d (between Puducherry and Cuddalore); Fernando et al. 2017: 272, pl. 127, fig. 1–1d (between Puducherry and Cuddalore).

Opinion: This species does occur in the region but its status is uncertain and it is probably the same as some of the other Verrucella species described by Fernando (2011) and Fernando et al. (2017).

Justification:

These Indian records appear to represent identical species: Fernando et al., 2017: 266, pl. 124, fig. 1–1d (SE coast); Fernando, 2011: 120–121, pl. 81, fig. 1–1d (Nagapatinam); Fernando et al. 2017: 278, pl. 130, fig. 1–1d (Nagapatinam).

Literature analysis: The accounts of the Indian material by Fernando (2011) and Fernando et al. (2017) are identical. The description states that the sclerites include large girdleless (= waistless) ellipsoid forms similar to those that occur in Verrucella ixobola Grasshoff, 1999 , but in their figures all of the sclerites seem to have a distinct waist.

The specimen used by Fernando (2011) and Fernando et al. (2017) has a bilateral polyp distribution, and from the available data, and allowing for some slight differences in sclerite dimensions (where they are known), it is not possible to distinguish this taxon, as treated by these authors, from the identity of the material they assigned to Verrucella dichromata Fernando, 2017 , Verrucella diadema Grasshoff, 1999 , and Verrucella pinnata Fernando, 2011 , and they may all be the same as some of the material used for their description of Verrucella umbraculum ( Ellis & Solander, 1786) .