Litophyton crassum ( Kükenthal, 1903 )

Van Ofwegen, Leen P., 2020, The genus Litophyton Forskål, 1775 (Octocorallia: Alcyonacea: Nephtheidae) from Australia, Zootaxa 4764 (1), pp. 1-131 : 88-92

Litophyton crassum ( Kükenthal, 1903)

( Figs. 80a , 81 )

Nephthya crassa Kükenthal, 1903: 167 , pl. 8 fig. 16, pl. 9 figs. 61-62 (Western Australia, Port Denison).

Not Nephthea crassa ; Utinomi, 1954 b: 60, fig. 3, pl. 2 fig. 2 (Kii, Japan); Imahara, 1996: 25 (listed).

Material examined. NHMW C2370 (material from Godeffroy museum, not as type in collection, but from Port Denison and the species mentioned by Kükenthal as being stored in the Natural History Museum Vienna).

Re-description. The holotype is 11.5 cm high and 6.5 cm wide ( Fig. 80a ). The stalk is 2.5 cm long. The polyps are up to 0.5 mm wide and high, mostly with expanded tentacles, and grouped in spherical catkins.

Polyps. With arrangement of sclerites in abaxial and lateral points only ( Fig. 81 a-b). Abaxial and lateral sclerites are spindles with sparsely distributed blunt spines, largest present abaxially, up to 0.40 mm long, laterally they are up to 0.20 mm long ( Fig. 81c ). The adaxial sclerites are small curved scales, similar to those of the tentacles, up to 0.10 mm long ( Fig. 81d ). Straight small rods, up to 0.10 mm long, are present on the adaxial side of the polyp stalk ( Fig. 81e ). Spindles of the supporting bundle are up to 1 mm long, with simple tubercles, and not projecting beyond the polyp ( Fig. 81f ).

Surface layer top stalk. Capstans and derivatives of capstans, 0.05-0.15 mm long ( Fig. 81g ); a few spindles and unilaterally spinose spindles are also present, up to 0.3 mm long, with simple tubercles ( Fig. 81h ).

Surface layer base stalk. Capstans, derivatives of capstans, and a few spindles and unilaterally spinose spindles ( Fig. 81j ). Capstans 0.10-0.15 mm long and spindles up to about 0.30 mm long.

Interior stalk. Spindles, up to 0.80 mm long, with pointed or blunt ends and simple tubercles; few with a side branch ( Fig. 81i , k-l)).

Distribution. Western Australia: Port Denison.

Remarks. The species resembles L. capnelliformis ( Thomson & Dean, 1931) , from Timor, Indonesia ( Fig. 80b ), regarding the internal stalk spindles with blunt ends ( Fig. 82g ). However, that species lacks unilaterally spinose sclerites ( Fig. 82f ). Noteworthy, the polyp sclerite arrangement of L. capnelliformis is not clear due to a large amount of detritus present in the polyps. Therefore, the one polyp drawn ( Fig. 82a ) could have rods in the adaxial side, the rods are possibly just hidden beneath the detritus.

Figures

FIGURE 80. Litophyton type specimens: a, L. crassum (Kükenthal, 1903), NHMW C2370; b, L. capnelliformis (Thomson & Dean, 1931), two parts of holotype ZMA COEL. 2925; c, L. darleyensis n. sp., holotype NTM C1155; d-e, L. folium n. sp., d, holotype NTM C4128; e, paratype NTM C10456. All natural size.

FIGURE 81. Litophyton crassum (Kükenthal, 1903), NHMW C2370; a, abaxial view polyp armature; b, adaxial view of polyp armature; c, abaxial point spindles; d, adaxial and tentacle sclerites; e, polyp stalk rods; f, supporting bundle spindle, partly; g-h, sclerites of surface layer top of stalk; j, sclerites of surface layer base of stalk; i, spindles of interior top of stalk; k-l, spindles of interior base of stalk; Scale at d also applies to e; scale at k also applies to c, f, g-j.

FIGURE 82. Litophyton capnelliformis (Thomson & Dean, 1931), holotype ZMA COEL. 2925; a, lateral view polyp armature; b, abaxial point spindles; c, adaxial and tentacle sclerites; d, supporting bundle spindles; e, sclerites of surface layer top of stalk; f, sclerites of surface layer base of stalk; g-h, spindles of interior base of stalk; i, tuberculation of interior base stalk spindle. Scale at f also applies to b, d-e, h-i.