Litophyton territoryensis, Van, 2020

Van Ofwegen, Leen P., 2020, The genus Litophyton Forskål, 1775 (Octocorallia: Alcyonacea: Nephtheidae) from Australia, Zootaxa 4764 (1), pp. 1-131 : 43-54

Litophyton territoryensis sp. nov.

( Figs. 32 d-f, 37-40)

Material examined. Holotype NTM C3187 , Northern Territory, Van Diemen Gulf, Trepang Bay , depth 1-1.5 m, 14 October 1981 ; paratypes: NTM C3206-NTM C3208, NTM C3213, PA5, Northern Territory, Van Diemen Gulf, Trepang Bay, depth 1-1.5 m, 14 October 1981, coll. P. Alderslade; NTM C3223-NTM C3224, Northern Territory, Van Diemen Gulf, Trepang Bay, depth 1.5-6 m, 15 October 1981, coll. P. Alderslade; NTM C3370, PA11, Northern Territory, Port Essington, Coral Bay, depth 5-6 m, 18 October 1981, coll. P. Alderslade; NTM C3371, NTM C3373, same data as NTM C3370; NTM C3469, NTM C03471, PA14, Northern Territory, Sandy Is., No. 2, depth 7-8 m; 20 October 1981, coll. P. Alderslade; NTM C3663, PA20; Northern Territory, Table Head, Port Essington, depth 2-4 m, 3 May 1982, coll. P. Alderslade; NTM C03683, NTM C3686-NTM C3687, Northern Territory, Coburg Peninsula, Table Head, PA20, depth 2-4 m, 3 May 1982, coll. P. Alderslade; NTM C3684, PA20, Northern Territory, Coburg Peninsula, Table Head, depth 2-4 m, 3 May 1982, coll. P. Alderslade; NTM C03688; Northern Territory, Coburg Peninsula, Table Head, 2-4 m; 2 May 1982, coll. P. Alderslade; NTM C3714-NTM C03715, Northern Territory, Port Essington, Table Head, depth 3-5 m, 4 May 1982, coll. P. Alderslade; NTM C3743, NTM C3745, NTM C3746, NTM C5231, Northern Territory, Darwin Harbour, Channel Is., Sta RW8528, coral; reef flat LWS, 17 October 1985, coll. R. Williams; NTM C5472, Northern Territory, Darwin, East Arm, LWS, 10 February 1987, coll. P. Alderslade; NTM C5651, Sta. CP70, Northern Territory, Port Essington, Coral Bay, depth 2-5 m, 12 September 1985, coll. P. Alderslade; NTM C5729, Sta. CP78A, Northern Territory, Port Essington, Kennedy Bay, depth 3 m, 17 September 1985, coll. P. Alderslade; NTM C11170-NTM C11172, NTM C11174-NTM C11175, Northern Territory, Darwin, East Arm, (Nr Boatramp), MLW, 28 October 1991; NTM C2906-NTM C2907, Northern Territory, Darwin, Weed reef, 4 m, 11 May 1984, coll. P. Alderslade; NTM C3421, PA12, Northern Territory, Smith reef, depth 3-5 m, 19 October 1981, coll. P. Alderslade; NTM C3425, same data as NTM C3421; NTM C3451, NTM C3454 PA13, Northern Territory, Sandy Is., No. 2, depth 3-5 m, 20 October 1981, coll. P. Alderslade; NTM C5687 Northern Territory, Port Essington, Orontes reef, Sta. CP77 depth 5 m, 16 September 1985, coll. P. Alderslade; NTM C3753, Sta. PA22, Northern Territory, Orontes reef, 5 May 1982, coll. P. Alderslade; NTM C5684, Sta. CP75, Northern Territory, Port Essington, Coral Bay, depth 3 m, 15 September 1985, coll. P. Alderslade; NTM C4617, Northern Territory, Arafura Sea, New Year Island, 50 feet, 14 October 1982, coll. P. Alderslade.

Description. The NTM C3187 holotype is 10 cm high and 6.5 cm wide, the stalk is 4.5 cm long ( Fig. 37b ). The polyps are up to 0.5 mm wide and high, and are grouped in conical catkins.

Polyps. With irregular arrangement of sclerites in points ( Fig. 32d ). Abaxial and lateral point sclerites are spindles with spines, the largest present abaxially, up to 0.50 mm long, laterally they are up to 0.20 mm long ( Fig. 38a ). Adaxially there are no sclerites, only the tentacles have sclerites in this part of the polyp, small rods and scales, up to 0.10 mm long ( Fig. 38b ). The polyp stalk next to the adaxial tentacles has some small almost smooth rods ( Fig. 38c ). Supporting bundle sometimes slightly projecting for a maximum distance of 0.10 mm but mostly not projecting, composed of spindles, up to 0.70 mm long, with simple tubercles ( Fig. 38d ). The spindles that are projecting have a smooth tip ( Fig. 32d ).

Surface layer top stalk. Capstans and derivatives of capstans, 0.05-0.10 mm long. Spindles and unilaterally spinose spindles are also present, up to 0.50 mm long, with simple and complex tubercles ( Fig. 38 e-f).

Surface layer base stalk. Capstans and derivatives of capstans ( Fig. 38 g-h), 0.05-0.20 mm long. A few spindles and unilaterally spinose spindles are also present, up to 0.30 mm long, with simple and complex tubercles. The spines of the unilaterally spinose sclerites are very long.

Interior stalk. Spindles, up to 1 mm long ( Fig. 38 i-j), with pointed ends and simple tubercles ( Fig. 38k ); several with one or two side branches. Branching occurs more often in the smaller spindles.

Variability. Only a few specimens have projecting supporting bundle spindles: the holotype NTM C3187, NTM C3206, NTM C3471, NTM C3715, and NTM C5472. NTM C3213 ( Figs. 37a , 39 ) showed much smaller internal stalk spindles, only up to 0.50 mm long. Many specimens have opaque polyp sclerites, for instance NTM C5651 ( Figs. 32f , 37c ), which also has rather small internal stalk spindles ( Fig. 40h ), alike NTM C3213.

Etymology. Named after the Northern Territory.

Distribution. Northern Territory.

Remarks. The small polyp stalk rods are often not visible, probably due to contraction of the polyps, which also makes it difficult to see whether the adaxial polyp sclerites are lacking. The polyp arrangement of NTM C11170 is depicted as this specimen best shows the absence of adaxial point sclerites ( Fig. 32e ).

L. acutum sp. nov., L. obtusum sp. nov., and L. territoryensis sp. nov. all have unilaterally spinose sclerites with long spines. The differences are discussed with L. acutum .

Figures

FIGURE 32. Lateral views polyp armature of Litophyton species: a, L. acutum n. sp., holotype NTM C4107; b, paratype NTM C3979; c, L. obtusum n. sp., holotype NTM C4164; d. L. territoryensis n. sp., holotype NTM C3187; e, paratype NTM C11170; f, paratype NTM C5651.

FIGURE 37. Type specimens of Litophyton territoryensis n. sp.: a, paratype NTM C3213; b, holotype NTM C3187; c, paratype NTM C5651, all natural size.

FIGURE 38. Litophyton territoryensis n. sp., holotype NTM C3187; a, abaxial and lateral point spindles; b, tentacle rods and scales; c, polyp stalk rods; d, supporting bundle spindles, one partly; e-f, sclerites of surface layer top of stalk; g-h, sclerites of surface layer base of stalk; i-j, spindles of interior base of stalk; k, tuberculation of interior base stalk spindle. Scale at a also applies to d, f, h, i; scale at b also applies to c, e, g.

FIGURE 39. Litophyton territoryensis n. sp., paratype NTM C3213; a, abaxial and lateral point spindles; b, tentacle scales; c, supporting bundle spindle, partly; d, sclerites of surface layer top of stalk; e-f, sclerites of surface layer base of stalk; g-i, spindles of interior base of stalk. Scale at a also applies to c-d, f, h; scale at b also applies to e, i.

FIGURE 40. Litophyton territoryensis n. sp., paratype NTM C5651; a, abaxial and lateral point spindles; b, tentacle scales; c, supporting bundle spindle; d-e, sclerites of surface layer top of stalk; f-g, sclerites of surface layer base of stalk; h-i, spindles of interior base of stalk; j, tuberculation of interior base stalk spindle. Scale at a also applies to c, e, g, i.; scale at b also applies to d, f.