Menella woodin Grasshoff, 1999

Ramvilas, Ghosh, Alderslade, Philip & Ranjeet, Kutty, 2023, The taxonomy of Indian gorgonians: an assessment of the descriptive records of gorgonians (Anthozoa: Octocorallia: Alcyonacea) recorded as occurring in the territorial waters of India, along with neighbouring regions and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and the highlighting of perceived unethical practice, Zootaxa 5236 (1), pp. 1-124 : 64

Menella woodin Grasshoff, 1999

Menella woodin Grasshoff, 1999: 54 , fig. 89–91; pl. 5, fig. 3 ( New Caledonia).

Opinion: There is no evidence this species occurs in the region.

Justification:

These Indian records seem to be either invalid or unconfirmable: Kumar et al. 2014a: 68, pl. 31, fig. A–D (Havelock, Long Island); Fernando et al. 2017: 143, pl. 66, fig. A–D (Havelock, Long Island).

Literature analysis: The accounts given by Kumar et al. (2014a) and Fernando et al. (2017) are identical and the material examined states there are 2 specimens that are 28 cm high and 15 cm high respectively. The text, however, states “the size of the colony is 35 cm ”, which happens to be identical to the size of one of the samples described by Grasshoff (1999). Additionally, the description of the sclerites of the Indian material is virtually a word-for-word copy of Grasshoff’s text so the true characters of the material are uncertain. The sclerites figured from the polyps of the Indian material are very different from those of the holotype and although the copied text refers to branched, inner coenenchyme sclerites with 3–5 rays, only a few capstans are shown. This species is probably endemic to New Caledonia. Kumar et al. (2015) just lists the species and figure the colony from the 2014 and 2017 publications above, while Kumar et al. (2018a) just lists the species.