Litophyton acutum, Van, 2020
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4764.1.1 |
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publication LSID |
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:53C5289A-156C-4AF1-B84A-73099A332C05 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3803528 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03BCB717-2308-FFF9-FF35-87B2FD1EF828 |
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treatment provided by |
Carolina |
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scientific name |
Litophyton acutum |
| status |
sp. nov. |
Litophyton acutum View in CoL sp. nov.
( Figs. 31 View FIGURE 31 a-b, 32a-b, 33-35)
Material examined. Holotype NTM C4107 ; Queensland, Great Barrier Reef, Davies reef, 5-10 m depth, 15 April 1981, coll. Z. Dinesen ; paratypes: NTM C4108, Queensland, Great Barrier Reef, Rib reef, depth 10-15 m, 26 May 1981, coll. Z. Dinesen; NTM C1365, Queensland, Great Barrier Reef, Sanctuary reef, 13 November 1980; coll. P. Alderslade; NTM C3955, Queensland, Great Barrier Reef, Flinders reef, depth - 2 m; 22 November 1981, coll. Z. Dinesen; NTM C3961, Queensland, Great Barrier Reef, Dip reef, depth 1-5 m; 6 February 1981, coll. Z. Dinesen; NTM C3979, Queensland, Great Barrier Reef, Flinders reef, S.W., depth 5-10 m; 26 November 1981, coll. Z. Dinesen; NTM C3996, coll. Z. Dinesen; NTM C4028, Queensland, Great Barrier Reef, Davies reef, depth 1-5 m, 15 April 1981, coll. Z. Dinesen.
Description. The NTM C4107 holotype is 5 cm high and 10 cm wide, the stalk is 2 cm long ( Fig. 31a View FIGURE 31 ). The polyps are grouped in conical catkins, they are up to 0.5 mm wide and high.
Polyps. With irregular arrangement of sclerites in points ( Fig. 32a View FIGURE 32 ). Abaxial and lateral point sclerites are unilaterally spinous or foliaceous spindles, the largest present abaxially, up to 0.50 mm long, laterally they are up to 0.25 mm long ( Fig. 33a View FIGURE 33 ). Adaxially there are only tentacles sclerites, small rods, up to 0.10 mm long ( Fig. 33b View FIGURE 33 ). The polyp stalk next to the adaxial tentacles has a few small almost smooth rods ( Fig. 33c View FIGURE 33 ). Supporting bundle not projecting, composed of spindles up to 1 mm long, with simple tubercles and a somewhat spiny distal end ( Fig. 33d View FIGURE 33 ).
Surface layer top stalk. Spindles and unilaterally spinose spindles, up to 0.55 mm long, with simple and complex tubercles and long spines ( Fig. 33e View FIGURE 33 ).
Surface layer base stalk. Capstans and derivatives of capstans, spindles and unilaterally spinose spindles, with simple and complex tubercles ( Fig. 33 View FIGURE 33 f-g, 34a). The derivations of capstans and unilaterally spinose spindles have very large spines. The spindles are up to 0.50 mm long.
Interior stalk. Spindles, up to 1 mm long ( Fig. 34b, c View FIGURE 34 ), with pointed ends and simple and complex tubercles ( Fig. 34d View FIGURE 34 ). The smaller spindles are often branched.
Variability. Paratype NTM C3979 ( Fig. 31b View FIGURE 31 ) overall shows more slender internal spindles ( Fig. 35k View FIGURE 35 ). This is probably caused by different sampling position. Both the holotype and this paratype miss the basal part of the stalk.
Etymology. From the Latin acutus, acute, sharp, pointed, refers to the interior spindles with pointed ends.
Distribution. Queensland: Davies reef, Rib reef, Sanctuary reef, Flinders reef, Dip reef.
Remarks. The holotype obviously is lacking the very base of the stalk ( Fig. 31a View FIGURE 31 ).
L. acutum sp. nov., L. obtusum sp. nov., and L. territoryensis sp. nov. all have unilaterally spinose sclerites with long spines. L. acutum and L. territoryensis with interior of the stalk with many spindles with pointed ends, but the spindles of L. territoryensis have much finer tuberculation. L. obtusum has many interior stalk spindles with blunt ends and less branched small internal stalk spindles.
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.