Dendrophyllia compressa Eguchi & Sasaki, 1973

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 : 734

Dendrophyllia compressa Eguchi & Sasaki, 1973 (in Euguchi 1973)

( Figure 1O–P )

Dendrophyllia arbuscula var. compressa Eguchi, 1973:84 , Plate 1, Fig. 3 Dendrophyllia compressa Ogawa & Takahashi, 1995:20–21 , Plate 4, Figs. 1–3 , Plate 7, Figs. 6–7

Description

Dendroid (bushy) colonial corallum. Corallite is oval and laterally compressed. Extratentacular budding occurs midway up the height of the old corallites and in all directions. Colony size ranges from 40 mm to 60 mm in length and width and 40– 60 mm in height. Longer and shorter diameters of corallite up to, 8.4 mm and 5.0 mm, respectively, height up to, 15 mm. Septal order is hexameral and in four cycles. Ventral and dorsal septa in five cycles. As single P. plan is seen in most corallites. In larger corallites, a triplicate P. plan with five cycles is expressed. The columella is compressed laterally. Living colony is light yellow.

Type locality

Nakagi, Minami-Izu machi, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, shallow rocky floors .

Distribution

Japan ( Ogawa and Takahashi 1995) and Conic Island Cave, Hong Kong (this study).

Figures

Figure 1. Balanophyllia sp. and Dendrophyllia sp. A–B, calicular (longer diameter56.5 mm) and side view of four solitary corallites of B. eguchii (maximum height59.02 mm); C–D, calicular (longer diameter514.9 mm) and top view of a B. ponderosa colony (height531.3 mm); E–G, calicular (longer diameter57.8 mm) and side views of two colonies of D. arbuscula (colony size of F and G535.1 mm and 40.1 mm, respectively); H–I, top and side views of a small D. arbuscula colony (height518.2); J–L, calicular (longer diameter511.7 mm) and top views of two colonies of D. ehrenbergiana (height of K and L513 mm and 19.8 mm, respectively); M–N, calicular (longer diameter513.4 mm) and side view of a colony of D. coccinea (height527 mm); O–P, calicular (longer diameter58 mm) and side view of colony of D. compressa (height533.1 mm); Q–R, calicular (longer diameter59.9 mm) and four solitary corallites of D. gracilis (maximum height521.2 mm).

Figure 2. Tubastrea sp. A–B, calicular (longer diameter58.2 mm) and top view of a colony of T. coccinea (length×width598.7 mm×34.6 mm); C–D, calicular (longer diameter56.37 mm) and top view of a colony of T. faulkneri (length×width568.9 mm×21.56 mm); E–J, calicular and side views of colonies of T. diaphana (height of F533 mm, height of G and H518.5 mm, longer calicular diameter and height of I and J59.9 and 21.5 mm, respectively); K–L, calicular (longer diameter59.5 mm) and top view of a colony of T. sibogae (height531.3 mm); M–O, calicular (longer diameter58.3 mm), top and side view of a colony of T. turbinata (height522.7 mm).

Figure 3. Tubastrea diaphana collected from Conic Island cave being grazed by three individuals of Aeolidiella sp. The white area of the skeleton is the grazed area. One Aeolidiella is on the top of the colony, the second is on the bottom and the third one was dislodged during collection.