Pterostenella plumatilis ( Milne Edwards & Haime, 1857 )

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 : 108

Pterostenella plumatilis ( Milne Edwards & Haime, 1857)

Primnoa plumatilis Milne Edwards & Haime, 1857: 141 ( Reunion Is.).

Pterostenella plumatilis Versluys 1906: 40–42 , figs. 39–45; Bayer & Stefani 1988: 456–457, pl. 1.

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

Justification:

These Indian records seem to be either invalid or unconfirmable: Fernando 2011: 129–130, pl. 93, fig. 1–1h (Cuddalore); Fernando et al. 2017: 304, pl. 143, fig. 1–1h (Cuddalore).

Literature analysis: The descriptions of the Indian material by Fernando (2011) and Fernando et al. (2017) are identical, but clearly do not represent this species. In their list of synonyms these authors include Bayer & Stefani (1988), who remark that the polyps occur in pairs or whorls of 3–4 with 5 to 7 scales in the abaxial rows, and direct readers to “la description excellente des spécimens de la´Siboga » publiée par VERSLUYS (1906) ”. In the latter publication the colony form of this species is shown as pinnate and the polyps as short and straight and angled from the branch. But in Fernando (2011) and Fernando et al. (2017) the colony is shown to be generally dichotomous, the close-up of one side of a branch shows part of a whorl with 3 polyps implying a full whorl of at least 6, and the polyps are curved with at least twice as many scales in an abaxial row than in Pterostenella plumatilis . Additionally, in the sclerite figures the polyp body scales seem to be ornamented with a dense complex of reticulate ridges and a radially ridged distal margin, indicating the material would be better assigned to a genus like Callogorgia .