Radicipes pleurocristata ( Stearns, 1883 )

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 : 109

Radicipes pleurocristata ( Stearns, 1883)

Radicipes pleurocristatus Stearns, 1883: 97–98 , pl. 7, figs. 1–2 ( Japan); Kinoshita 1913: 5–8, pl. 3, figs. 1–2, text-figs. 1–3 ( Japan); Kükenthal 1919: 542–543; Bayer 1961: F218, text-fig. 156, 3a–d; Bayer, 1979: 882, fig. 2b; Matsumoto et al., 2007: 241 (listed) ( Japan); Cordeiro et al., 2015: 95 (key); Cordeiro et al. 2017: 5 (key), 6–9, figs. 1B,C,E, 2H –I’, 4, 5 (redescription).

Strophogorgia verrilli (nom. nud.) Wright, 1885 in Wright & Studer 1889: 3, pl. 1, fig. 2, 2a; pl. 5a, fig. 3 ( Japan).

Strophogorgia petersi Wright & Studer, 1889: 2–3 , pl. 2, fig. 1, pl. 5a, fig. 1 ( Japan).

Lepidogorgia petersi Versluys 1902: 7–12 , text-figs. 4–14 ( Indonesia); Thomson & Henderson, 1906: 27 (key); Nutting, 1912: 53 ( Indonesia).

Lepidogorgia verrilli Versluys 1902: 12–14 , text figs. 15–17 ( Indonesia).

Radicipes verrilli Matsumoto et al. 2007: 241 (listed) ( Japan); Cairns et al. 2009 (listed). (NewZealand); Cordeiro et al., 2015: 95 (key).

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

Justification:

These Indian records seem to be either invalid or unconfirmable: Thomson & Henderson 1906: 26–27, pl. 3, figs 5a, b. (Andaman Sea).

Literature analysis: The correct name for this species is Radicipes pleurocristatus Stearns, 1883 , as established in a revision of the genus Radicipes Verrill, 1883 by Cordeiro et al. (2017). The name Strophogorgia verrilli is a junior synonym of the species and was used by Wright (1885), with no description, for material collected from Japan. The species was not described until later in Wright & Studer (1889) with a figure of a colony portion and a group of sclerites from unknown parts of the colony. Versluys (1902) redescribed the species under the genus Lepidogorgia Verrill, 1884 and provided improved sclerite figures for material from Indonesia. Thomson & Henderson (1906) mistakenly identified some fragmented material from the Andamans with Lepidogorgia verrilli with an illustration of an attached polyp that shows large sclerites on the coenenchymal surface that are quite unlike the figure in the original description and also those given by Cordeiro et al. (2017). Kinoshita (1913) established that Lepidogorgia and Strophogorgia are actually both junior synonyms of Radicipes . Wright & Studer (1889) also described Strophogorgia petersi , which was later recorded from Indonesia by Versluys, and Cordeiro et al. (2017) showed this is also a synonym of Radicipes pleurocristatus .