Deltocyathus magnificus Moseley, 1876

Cairns, S. D., 2004, The Azooxanthellate Scleractinia (Coelenterata: Anthozoa) of Australia, Records of the Australian Museum 56, pp. 259-329 : 280

Deltocyathus magnificus Moseley, 1876

Deltocyathus magnificus Moseley, 1876: 552–553 .– Grygier, 1991: 43, fig. 21G (WA).–Cairns & Parker, 1992: 27–28, pl. 7, figs. j–l, pl. 8, fig. a (SA, Vic).– Cairns, 1994: 56, pl. 24d,e, g,h (description, synonymy).–Cairns & Zibrowius, 1997: 126–127 (remarks, key).– Cairns, 1998: 381–382, fig. 4a (WA); 1999a: 91 (remarks).

Bathyactis palifera .– Hoffmeister, 1933: 14, pl. 4, fig. 6 (SA).

Fungiacyathus paliferus .– Wells, 1958: 262 (list).– Veron, 1986: 598 (listed).–Cairns & Parker, 1992: 6–7 (SA).

Fungiacyathus sp. Veron, 1986: 598 (black and white fig.).

New records. VICTORIA: Southern Surveyor 05/94/83, 10, AM G16499. — NEW SOUTH WALES: Franklin Slope 57, 6, NMV F67773 and F67149 ; Kapala 74/15/28, 2, AM G15324; Kapala 75/08/01, 7, AM G16416; Kapala 76/20/02, 8 in AM; Kapala 77/23/08, 5, AM G16431; Kapala 78/03/03, 1, AM G16398; Kapala 78/23/09, 2, AM G16376; Kapala 78/27/13, 1, AM G16390; Kapala 78/27/16, 1, AM G16569; Kapala 79/03/18, 12, AM G15618 and G16454; Kapala 79/05/05, 15, AM G16457; Kapala 79/12/08, 31, AM G16441; Kapala 79/20/09, 1, AM G16463; Kapala 85/21/06, 2, AM G16477. — QUEENSLAND: Soela 06/85/05 (Marion Plateau), 1, NTM C5299; Soela 06/85/30 (Marion Plateau), 1, NTM C5300; Soela 01/86/50, 1, NTM C5352; Soela 01/86/ 51, 1, NTM C5326; Soela 01/86/52, 2, NTM C5327; Soela 01/86/54, 3, NTM C5340; Soela 01/86/69, 1, NTM C5224; Iron Summer 1, 1, QMB; Kimbla 3, 6, AM G16601; Kimbla 15, 5, AM G16600. — WESTERN AUSTRALIA: Lady Basten 95/LB08, 19, WAM Z16041 .

Types. One uncatalogued syntype is deposited at BM ( Cairns, 1994). Type Locality: 5°49'S 132°14'E (off Kai Island , Banda Sea), 236 m.

Remarks. Deltocyathus magnificus , along with Flabellum australe , F. hoffmeisteri , Paraconotrochus zeidleri , and Caryophyllia ambrosia , are the five most commonly collected corals on the slopes of New South Wales, and yet it had never been reported from this region before.

Although I “examined” the specimen identified as Bathyactis palifera (AM E3737) by Hoffmeister (1933) in 1988 (Cairns & Parker, 1992), I did not realize at that time that it was in fact a typical specimen of Deltocyathus magnificus . The incorrect identification of Hoffmeister was also promulgated by Wells (1958) and Veron (1986). Indeed, three authors have independently misidentified specimens of Deltocyathus magnificus as a species of Fungiacyathus ( Hoffmeister, 1933; Veron, 1986; and Cairns & Parker, 1992). Although similar is size and shape, D. magnificus can reliably be distinguished by lacking synapticular between its septa and in having highly ridged costae. The reidentification of this specimen is also much more consistent with the known distribution of these two species.