Cyathelia axillaris ( Ellis & Solander, 1786 )

Lam, Katherine, Morton, Brian & Hodgson, Paul, 2008, Ahermatypic corals (Scleractinia: Dendrophylliidae, Oculinidae and Rhizangiidae) recorded from submarine caves in Hong Kong, Journal of Natural History 42 (9 - 12), pp. 729-747 : 739-740

Cyathelia axillaris ( Ellis & Solander, 1786)

( Figure 4A–B )

Madrepora axillaris Ellis & Solander, 1786

Cyathohelia axillaris Duncan, 1876:438

Cyathelia axillaris Wells, 1956 :F411, Fig. 308, 2a–b

Cyathelia axillaris Scott 1984:80 , Plate 37A–B

Description

Branching dendroid colonies. Extra-tentacular budding occurs at the corallite wall next to the calice. Because of regular alternate budding, corallites tend to spiral around branches. Corallites exsert and united basally by a dense coenosteum with smooth external wall. Corallite oval with longer and shorter diameters of up to, 8.3 mm and 5.3 mm, respectively. The first three cycles of septa are arranged in two crowns. Columella of twisted trabecular rods. Living colonies have a white coenosarc with pale brown polyps and transparent tentacles.

Type locality

Amboina.

Distribution

Indo-Pacific (119–1509 m), Amboina ( Wells 1956), Recherche Archipelago, Western Australia ( Veron 1986), Japan ( Ogawa and Matsuzaki 1992), Conic Island Cave, Hong Kong (this study).

Family RHIZANGIIDAE d’Orbigny, 1851

Figures

Figure 4. Cyathelia sp., Culicia sp. and Oulangia sp. A–B, calicular (longer diameter55.1 mm) and colony of Cyathelia axillaris (height535.85 mm); C, calicular of Culicia japonica (longer diameter55.9 mm); D, caliculars of Culicia rubeola (colony size515.3 mm×14 mm) and E, calicular of Oulangia stokesiana (longer diameter59 mm).