Litophyton cockburnensis, Van, 2020

Van Ofwegen, Leen P., 2020, The genus Litophyton Forskål, 1775 (Octocorallia: Alcyonacea: Nephtheidae) from Australia, Zootaxa 4764 (1), pp. 1-131 : 6

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4764.1.1
publication LSID	urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:53C5289A-156C-4AF1-B84A-73099A332C05
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3803548
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03BCB717-2324-FFD5-FF35-87EEFBA1F944
treatment provided by	Carolina
scientific name	Litophyton cockburnensis
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Litophyton cockburnensis View in CoL sp. nov.

( Figs. 1a View FIGURE 1 , 2a View FIGURE 2 , 3 View FIGURE 3 )

Material examined. Holotype NTM C10288 , Great Barrier Reef, GBR 2, Cockburn reef, depth 12-15 m, 10 December 1990, coll. J. Jan; paratype: NTM C10322, Great Barrier Reef , GBR 3 , Nomad/Mason reef, depth 3-6 m, 11 December 1990, coll. J. Jan.

Description. The holotype NTM C10288 is 11.5 cm high and 9.5 cm wide, the stalk is 2.5 cm high ( Fig. 1a View FIGURE 1 ). The polyps are up to 0.7 mm wide and 0.8 mm high and grouped in long catkins.

Polyps. With very irregular arrangement of sclerites in eight points ( Fig. 2a View FIGURE 2 ). Abaxial and lateral point sclerites are spindles with simple tubercles and spiny distal part, largest present abaxially, up to 0.45 mm long ( Fig. 3a View FIGURE 3 ); towards the adaxial side they become smaller ( Fig. 3b View FIGURE 3 ). Tentacles with curved scales up to 0.10 mm long ( Fig. 3c View FIGURE 3 ). Adaxial side of the polyp stalk with many straight rods, up to 0.10 mm long ( Fig. 3d View FIGURE 3 ). Supporting bundle composed of one or two spindles up to 1.50 mm long, with simple tubercles and a spiny tip projecting for a maximum distance of 0.30 mm ( Fig. 3e View FIGURE 3 ). Some polyp sclerites have an optically black inner core. Many xeniid type sclerites are present in the polyp body ( Figs. 2a View FIGURE 2 , the small ovals in the polyp, 3f).

Surface layer top stalk. Spindles, some unilaterally spinose, up to 1 mm long and all with simple tubercles ( Fig. 3g View FIGURE 3 ).

Surface layer base stalk. Capstans and spiny derivatives of capstans up to 0.20 mm long, and spindles, mostly unilaterally spinose, up to 0.70 mm long, with complex tubercles ( Fig. 3h View FIGURE 3 ).

Interior stalk. Spindles with complex tubercles ( Fig. 3i View FIGURE 3 ) and pointed ends. These spindles are mostly up to 0.75 mm long, a few are longer than 1 mm ( Fig. 3j View FIGURE 3 ). Smaller spindles are somewhat flattened ( Fig. 3k View FIGURE 3 ).

Etymology. Named after the type locality.

Distribution. Great Barrier Reef: Cockburn reef, Nomad/Mason reef.

Remarks. This is the only Australian Litophyton species with projecting supporting bundles and polyps higher than wide. Some polyps of L. elfordensis sp. nov. are also higher than wide ( Fig. 2e, h View FIGURE 2 ) but most are wider than high ( Fig. 2d View FIGURE 2 , f-g).

Both holotype and paratype have xeniid type sclerites in the polyps ( Figs. 2a View FIGURE 2 , 3f View FIGURE 3 ). This is also the case in some specimens of L. spinulosum sp. nov., but that species has a clearly different colony shape, with spherical catkins ( Fig. 26 View FIGURE 26 a-c), and the tubercles on its sclerites are more complex ( Figs. 26 View FIGURE 26 d-i, 27-30).

L. robustum ( Kükenthal, 1895) ( Ternate, Indonesia) resembles this species regarding polyps being higher than wide ( Fig. 4a View FIGURE 4 ). However, L. robustum has much larger spindles in the interior of the base of the stalk, up to 1.5 mm long. For comparison the colony ( Fig. 12d View FIGURE 12 ) and sclerites ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 ) of L. robustum are also presented.