Villogorgia tenuis ( Thomson & Simpson, 1909 )

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 : 73-74

Villogorgia tenuis ( Thomson & Simpson, 1909)

Acamptogorgia tenuis Thomson & Simpson, 1909: 230–232 , pl. 3, fig. 4&8; pl.8, fig. 7 (Andamans).

Opinion: This species does occur in the region but its true identity is unknown.

Justification:

These Indian records seem to be either invalid or unconfirmable: Fernando 2011: 55, pl.32, fig. 1–1e (Cuddalore); Kumar et al. 2014a: 88, pl. 41, fig A–E (Guitor Island, Middle Andaman); Fernando et al. 2017: 117, pl. 53, fig. 1–1e (Cuddalore).

Literature analysis: The species was originally described as Acamptogorgia tenuis from the Andamans with illustrations of a reticulate colony and a few sclerites, and at present most of the characteristics of the species are unknown. A non-reticulate colony from Providence Island (then part of Mauritius) was later illustrated and assigned to this species by Thomson & Russell (1910), and Kükenthal (1924) included the species when dealing with taxa he grouped as Echinomuricea , but only as an uncertain identification. Kumar et al. (2014a) record material as Villogorgia tenuis erroneously citing the authorship as “( Nutting, 1908)” and the prime reference as Thomson & Henderson (1909). Their colony does not have the growth form of a Villogorgia and there are no characteristic Villogorgia sclerites in their figure despite describing them in their text.

In their identical accounts, Fernando (2011) and Fernando et al. (2017) attributed material to this species but it appears quite a different species. These authors record the calicular thorn scales as having an apparently foliaceous projection 0.12–0.2 mm long, while those of Thomson & Simpson’s specimen have a spine-like projection only 0.025–0.5 mm in length. They also figure one of the typical forms of a Villogorgia coenenchymal sclerite that has a complex foliaceous upper portion and 3–4 root-like legs, a form that is not mentioned in Thomson & Simpson’s account. Similar to their description of Villogorgia ceylonensis, Fernando (2011) and Fernando et al. (2017) mistakenly cite an occurrence in Bayer 1981 as a synonym. That publication is a key in which the species is not mentioned. Bayer only illustrated a typical thornscale from the genera Acamptogorgia , Brandella and Perisceles , which are all synonyms of Villogorgia . Rao & Devi (2003) just list the species under the original name, and Kumar et al. (2015, 2018) list the species and figure the specimen from their 2014 paper.