Verrucella klunzingeri Grasshoff, 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 : 102

Verrucella klunzingeri Grasshoff, 2000

Verrucella klunzingeri Grasshoff, 2000: 113–114 , fig. 202&203 (Northern Red Sea).

Opinion: There is not enough evidence that this species occurs in the region.

Justification:

These Indian records seem to be either invalid or unconfirmable: Kumar et al. 2014a: 42, pl. 18, fig. A–D (Andaman Is.); Fernando et al. 2017: 274, pl. 128, fig. A–D (Andaman Is.).

Literature analysis: The publications of Kumar et al. (2014a) and Fernando et al. (2017) present identical descriptions. Although the colony figured by these authors does resemble that illustrated by Grasshoff (2000), the sclerites do not. The densely warted, very short waisted double heads figured from the coenenchyme are quite different to those from Grasshoff’s material, as are the polyp sclerites. Kumar et al. (2015) just lists the species and figure the same Indian specimen, while Kumar et al. (2018a) just lists the species

From the data available, the material described by Kumar et al. (2014a) and Fernando et al. (2017) seems to be the same species as the material Fernando (2011) and Fernando et al. (2017) assigned, perhaps correctly to Verrucella flexuosa ( Lamarck, 1815) .