Dendrophyllia ehrenbergiana ( Milne-Edwards & Haime, 1848 )

Lam, Katherine, Morton, Brian & Hodgson, Paul, 2008, Ahermatypic corals (Scleractinia: Dendrophylliidae, Oculinidae and Rhizangiidae) recorded from submarine caves in Hong Kong, Journal of Natural History 42 (9 - 12), pp. 729-747 : 733

Dendrophyllia ehrenbergiana ( Milne-Edwards & Haime, 1848)

( Figure 1J–L )

Coenopsammia ehrenbergiana Milne-Edwards & Haime, 1848

Dendrophyllia coarctata Duncan, 1886:17–18 , Plate 1, Figs 27, 28; Ogawa and Takahashi 1995:21, Plate 6, Fig. 8–13, Plate 7, Fig. 10–11

Dendrophyllia ehrenbergiana van der Horst, 1922:55 , Plate VII, Figs 3–4

Description

Colonial coralla of this species which occur in Hong Kong’s marine caves are phaceloid with short polyps (up to, 8 mm in height, and 14.6 mm and 10.2 mm in longer and shorter diameters, respectively) and have a thick epithecal wall. Dendroid colonies are also known ( Scott 1984). New polyps develop by extratentacular budding on basal expansions. Colony size ranges from 40 mm to 60 mm in length and width and 20–40 mm in height. Corallite is oval, with a length ranging from 8–12 mm, width from 6–10 mm and height from 5–9 mm. Septal order is hexameral with a duplicate P. plan and in four cycles. Ventral septa in five cycles. The triple P. plan is formed by fusion of one pair of S 5 with one S 3 in between. Columella is compressed and spongy. Living colony is orange or rose red.

Distribution

Ambon ( van der Horst 1922), Japan ( Ogawa and Takahashi 1995) and Conic Island marine cave in Hong Kong (this study).

Figures

Figure 1. Balanophyllia sp. and Dendrophyllia sp. A–B, calicular (longer diameter56.5 mm) and side view of four solitary corallites of B. eguchii (maximum height59.02 mm); C–D, calicular (longer diameter514.9 mm) and top view of a B. ponderosa colony (height531.3 mm); E–G, calicular (longer diameter57.8 mm) and side views of two colonies of D. arbuscula (colony size of F and G535.1 mm and 40.1 mm, respectively); H–I, top and side views of a small D. arbuscula colony (height518.2); J–L, calicular (longer diameter511.7 mm) and top views of two colonies of D. ehrenbergiana (height of K and L513 mm and 19.8 mm, respectively); M–N, calicular (longer diameter513.4 mm) and side view of a colony of D. coccinea (height527 mm); O–P, calicular (longer diameter58 mm) and side view of colony of D. compressa (height533.1 mm); Q–R, calicular (longer diameter59.9 mm) and four solitary corallites of D. gracilis (maximum height521.2 mm).

Figure 3. Tubastrea diaphana collected from Conic Island cave being grazed by three individuals of Aeolidiella sp. The white area of the skeleton is the grazed area. One Aeolidiella is on the top of the colony, the second is on the bottom and the third one was dislodged during collection.

Figure 4. Cyathelia sp., Culicia sp. and Oulangia sp. A–B, calicular (longer diameter55.1 mm) and colony of Cyathelia axillaris (height535.85 mm); C, calicular of Culicia japonica (longer diameter55.9 mm); D, caliculars of Culicia rubeola (colony size515.3 mm×14 mm) and E, calicular of Oulangia stokesiana (longer diameter59 mm).