Leptoseris kalayaanensis, Licuanan & Aliño, 2009

Licuanan, Wilfredo Y. & Aliño, Porfirio M., 2009, Leptoseris Kalayaanensis (Scleractinia: Agariciidae), A New Coral Species From The Philippines, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 57 (1), pp. 1-4 : 2-3

Leptoseris kalayaanensis , new species

Type material. – Holotype P1L001932 (94 mm in diameter). Paratypes P1L001933 (84 mm in diameter) and attached to but clearly distinct from P1L001934 (103 mm long). All collected from the NE Investigator Shoal (9.172°N 116.467°E), 15 m depth, coll. W. Licuanan, 6 May 1999. The paratypes are attached to the same rock and have no skeletal connection.

Septo-costae are equal, closely packed, with non-dentate edges and an acute keeled profile. Fine granulations are found at regular intervals at the edges of lateral ridges running parallel to the septo-costae giving them a saw-like appearance. The septo-costae are fairly straight, also on the spines. About 12–23 reach the corallite center but some fuse before reaching the centre while some others form interrupted plates near the center.

The columella, usually present in the larger corallites, is usually a solid mass with an uneven surface that may be connected to septo-costae. The encrusting unifacial laminae and fine septo-costal structure suggests this species is better placed in Leptoseris than in any other of the attached agariciid genera.

Paratypes. – Both paratypes have central corallites with slightly raised margins ( Fig. 6 ). P1L001933 is dome-shaped Holotype. – Corallum small, encrusting (but with margins mostly raised from the substratum) to unifacial laminate and slightly dome-shaped. Margin entire or lobate ( Fig. 1 ). Thickness at the margins is about 0.5 mm and increasing towards the center. Living colony light brown with whitish margin [photographs can be seen in Licuanan (2003) and in Pg. 51 of the same book). Newly cleaned coralla had greenish tinge in the center.

Corallites circular to elliptical, 1.8 to 3.6 mm in diameter measuring from where septo-costae descend into the shallow fossa ( Fig. 2 ). Central (primary) corallite deeper but barely distinct from lateral ones, which may be of similar size ( Fig. 2 , see also Fig. 3 of a paratype). Corallites are located mainly within the inner zone of the corallum, from the centre until halfway the periphery, somewhat in a regular pattern three to eight mm apart from each other, but rarely about 10 mm from the margin. These are not outwardly inclined but are immersed to sub-immersed.

Distinctive spines are distributed over the upper surface; up to 10 mm tall and elliptical in cross-section, diameter about 2.7 mm at the base and 1.1 mm at the blunt tips. The spines are unbranched and are scattered between corallites in concentric rows. Most spines initially point out towards the corallum periphery then curve upwards ( Fig. 4 ). Some spines are found on top of folds of laminae near the corallum margins, whereas others emanate from a mound-like common base. Spines are solid, as can be seen in a broken spine, ( Fig. 5 ), which suggests that they are not homologue to the hollow tubes in L. scabra Vaughan, 1907 , and L. tubulifera Vaughan, 1907 . The spines are much taller than the moundlike nodules described for L. solida (Quelch, 1886) , L. hawaiiensis Vaughan, 1907 , and L. scabra (see Dinesen, 1980). About 10–15 individual septo-costae run continuously up to the tips and, except for the ones at the sharp ends of the elliptical base, down to the other side.

and attached only at the centre. The distinctive spines, when examined from the underside of the corallum (where the underlying substratum was cleared), are clearly solid as well. It partially covers P1L01934 and is attached to the same rock. P1L01934 has shorter spines but remain distinct from other Leptoseris .

Etymology. – The species is named after the Kalayaan Island group, near Palawan province in the western Philippines, in which the type locality is found.

Affinities. – The spines of L. kalayaanensis , new species, clearly distinguishes it from the other Leptoseris . It differs from L. gardineri Horst, 1921 , and L. papyracea (Dana, 1846) in that there it shows no tendency to form branching fronds nor does it form tiered or whorled fronds like L. amitoriensis Veron, 1990 . Among the encrusting to laminate forms, L. kalayaanensis , new species, differs from L. explanata Yabe & Sugiyama, 1941 , L. scabra , L. solida , L. striata Fenner & Veron, 2000 , and L. yabei (Pillai & Scheer, 1971) in that the septo-costae do not alternate. Leptoseris hawaiiensis , L. incrustans (Quelch, 1886) , L. mycetoseroides Wells, 1954 , and L. foliosa Dinesen, 1980 , also have even septo-costae but L. kalayaanensis , new species, does not have the irregular folds or collines of L. mycetoseroides , nor the deep rounded corallites of L. hawaiiensis . Hydnophora -like projections have been described for L. incrustans , and mound-like nodules for L. solida , L. hawaiiensis , and L. scabra but these are shorter and do not have the shape of L. kalayaanesis , new species, spines.

Figures

Fig. 6. Leptoseris kalayaanensis, new species. Paratypes: ex (diameter 84 and 103 mm), NE Investigator Shoal, Kalayaan Islands (P1L01933 is the lower part).P1L01934 is partially covered by P1L01933 and is attached to the same rock. The two have no skeletal connection. Photo: W. Licuanan.

Fig. 1. Leptoseris kalayaanensis, new species: Holotype (diameter 94 mm), NE Investigator Shoal, Kalayaan Islands (P1L01932). Photo: W. Licuanan.

Fig. 2. Leptoseris kalayaanensis, new species. Holotype: Inset showing the slightly larger central corallite and its columella. Photo: K. Luzon.

Fig.3. Leptoseris kalayaanensis, new species.Paratype (P1L01933): Detail showing the larger central corallite on the upper right. Photo: K. Luzon.

Fig. 4. Leptoseris kalayaanensis, new species Holotype: oblique photo to show spines. Photo: K. Luzon.

Fig. 5. Leptoseris kalayaanensis, new species. Holotype: Detail and inset showing the base of a broken spine demonstrating it is solid, not hollow. Photo: K. Luzon.