Polycyathus senegalensis Chevalier, 1966

Reyes, Javier, Santodomingo, Nadiezhda & Cairns, Stephen, 2009, Caryophylliidae (Scleractinia) from the Colombian Caribbean, Zootaxa 2262 (1), pp. 1-39 : 12

Polycyathus senegalensis Chevalier, 1966

Figs. 2T–U

Polycyathus senegalensi s Chevalier, 1966: 971–974, pl. 4, figs. 7–8, text-fig. 21.— Best, 1968: 72 (listed).—Wijsman- Best, 1970: 83–84.— Zibrowius, 1980: 94.— Hubbard & Wells, 1986: 133–134, figs. 21–22.— Cairns et al., 1994: 7.— Cairns, 2000: 83–86, figs. 17, 92–95.

Polycyathus mullerae Hubbard & Wells, 1986: 134 , figs. 23–24. [Not Polycyathus muellerae ( Abel, 1959) ]

Paracyathus pulchellus Cairns, 1979: 88–90 , pl. 16 fig. 5 (in part).— Hubbard & Wells, 1986: 133. [Not Cyathina pulchellus Philippi, 1842 ].

Remarks: Colombian specimens differ from those described by Cairns (2000) in having a colonial growth form and undivided P3. However, all other morphological characteristics were similar to previous descriptions. Several recruits were found settled on rocks and other coral skeletons.

Distribution: Amphi-atlantic distribution. Tropical western Atlantic, from Gulf of Paria ( Venezuela) to French Guyana, and also in Florida; from 12 to 143 m depth ( Cairns 2000). Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea, in Senegal and Morocco; from 46 to 100 m depth ( Zibrowius 1980; Cairns 2000). In Colombia, P. senegalensis is known in the northern Caribbean coast (Punta Gallinas, La Guajira Peninsula), between 73 and 152 m depth.

Material: INV CNI 808, 1 colony, E89; INV CNI 809, 5 corallites, E88; INV CNI 810, 1 colony fragment, E88; USNM 46160, 1 colony fragment, P-769.

Figures

FIGURE 2. A–B, Caryophyllia berteriana, INV CNI2553, off San Bernardo Islands, calicular and lateral views, both x 1.5; C, Caryophyllia crypta, USNM 99187, Santa Marta, paratype, x 4; D–E, Caryophyllia barbadensis, INV CNI669, off San Bernardo Islands, calicular and lateral views, both x 10; F–G, Caryophyllia ambrosia caribbeana, INV CNI364, off La Rada inlet, calicular and lateral views, both x 1.6; H–I, Coenocyathus parvulus, INV CNI671, off San Bernardo Islands, calicular and lateral views, both x 10; J–K, Trochocyathus rawsonii, INV CNI681, off Gulf of Morrosquillo, calicular and lateral views, both x 3.2; L–M, Trochocyathus sp. cf. T. fasciatus, INV CNI379, off Santa Marta, calicular and lateral views, both x 4.6; N, Tethocyathus prahli, INV CNI905, off La Guajira (Punta Gallinas), calicular view x 2.7; O, T. prahli, INV CNI1514, off Chocó, Pacific Ocean, calicular view x 2.7; P–Q, Tethocyathus variabilis, INV CNI2404, off San Bernardo Islands, calicular and lateral views, both x 4; R–S, Paracyathus pulchellus, INV CNI2305, off La Guajira, calicular and lateral views, both x 4.4; T–U, Polycyathus senegalensis, INV CNI809, off La Guajira, calicular view and colony, both x 2.7; V, Cladocora debilis, INV CNI877, off Palomino, colony fragment showing typical branching pattern, x 0.8. Scale bars for A–B, F–G,V = 1 cm;C, J–U = 5 mm; D–E, H–I = 1 mm.