Litophyton filamentosum (Verseveldt, 1973)

van Ofwegen, Leen P., 2016, The genus Litophyton Forskal, 1775 (Octocorallia, Alcyonacea, Nephtheidae) in the Red Sea and the western Indian Ocean, ZooKeys 567, pp. 1-128 : 12

Taxon classification Animalia Alcyonacea Nephtheidae

Litophyton filamentosum (Verseveldt, 1973) Figures 1C, 33, 34, 35

Nephthea filamentosa Verseveldt, 1973: 141, figs 24-25, pl. 6 (Tany Kely, near Nosy Bé, Madagascar).

Litophyton filamentosum Not Nephthea filamentosa ; Ofwegen 1996: 209 (Papua New Guinea).

Material examined.

RMNH Coel. 8046, holotype, Tany Kely, Madagascar, 23 m depth; RMNH Coel. 8047, paratypes, Tany Kelly, Madagascar, 23 m depth.

Removed from the species.

RMNH Coel. 12966, Mililat Bay, Papua-New Guinea, 10 m depth; RMNH Coel. 14596, Laing I., Papua-New Guinea, 7 m depth.

Diagnosis.

Litophyton with the internal spindles of the base of the stalk mostly with pointed ends. Polyp stalk with scales, surface of the stalk with straight spindles and unilaterally spinose spindles.

Distribution.

Only known from the type locality Madagascar.

Remarks.

The species is sufficiently described by Verseveldt (1973: 141). Here I present the holotype colony shape (Figure 33) and SEM images of its sclerites (Figures 34-35).

The species mostly resembles Litophyton curvum but differs in having straight sclerites in the surface layer of the base of the stalk and very spiny, almost spheroidal, sclerites in the surface layer of the base of the stalk.

RMNH Coel. 12966 and RMNH Coel. 14596 are misidentifications. The specimens have no rodlets on the adaxial side of the polyp, as is the case in Litophyton filamentosum .