Scolanthus Gosse, 1853

Izumi, Takato & Fujita, Toshihiko, 2018, Description of three new species of Scolanthus (Cnidaria, Anthozoa, Actiniaria, Edwardsiidae): first records of the genus from Japan, ZooKeys 794, pp. 1-21 : 1

Scolanthus Gosse, 1853

Diagnosis.

Edwardsiidae with body divisible into scapus and capitulum. Proximal part of body rounded, provided with nemathybomes and never forming physa. Nemathybomes scattered or forming longitudinal lines on scapus. At least eight microcnemes. Tentacle typically 16 to 20 in adults, arranged hexamerously, octomerously or decamerously. Tentacles on inner cycle shorter than those on outer cycle. Retractor muscles relatively large, well developed, and diffused, restricted or circumscribed. Parietal muscles distinct, symmetrical, well developed. Cnidome; spirocysts, basitrichs, microbasic b- and p-mastigophores (revised from Daly and Ljubenkov 2008).

Type species.

Scolanthus callimorphus Gosse, 1853 by monotypy.

Origin of Japanese name.

New Japanese name: Ashinashi-mushimodoki-ginchaku-zoku. This new Japanese name is constructed from “ashi-nashi” (which means no-foot) and “mushimodoki-ginchaku” (which means worm-like, the Japanese name for edwardsiids). “Ashi-nashi” is named after the most characteristic feature of this genus; no differentiated physa from scapus.

Remarks.

The genus Scolanthus currently contains seven valid species ( Fautin 2013) not including new species in the current study, and there also are two more species once accommodated within Isoedwardsia , which was synonymized to Scolanthus in Manuel (1981). This genus is widely distributed, from tropical ( S. armatus [Carlgren, 1931]) to subarctic regions ( S. nidarosiensis [Carlgren, 1942]). No Scolanthus species, however, have previously been collected from Japan. In this study, Scolanthus armatus and three new species of Scolanthus are reported from Japan, representing the first records of this genus from Japan. Consequently, the number of Scolanthus species is now 12.