Litophyton carnatum, Van, 2020

Van Ofwegen, Leen P., 2020, The genus Litophyton Forskål, 1775 (Octocorallia: Alcyonacea: Nephtheidae) from Australia, Zootaxa 4764 (1), pp. 1-131 : 73

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.3803602
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03BCB717-2369-FF98-FF35-85F4FABDFC41
treatment provided by	Carolina
scientific name	Litophyton carnatum
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Litophyton carnatum View in CoL sp. nov.

( Figs. 56e View FIGURE 56 , 60a View FIGURE 60 , 61a View FIGURE 61 , 62-65 View FIGURE 62 View FIGURE 63 View FIGURE 64 View FIGURE 65 )

Material examined. Holotype NTM C4100 , Queensland, Great Barrier Reef, Dip reef, depth 1-5 m, 6 February 1981, coll. Z. Dinesen ; paratype NTM C3947, Queensland, Great Barrier Reef, Dip reef, depth 10-15 m, 9 January 1981, coll. Z. Dinesen.

Description. The NTM C4100 holotype is 6.5 cm high and 14 cm wide ( Fig. 56e View FIGURE 56 ). The stalk is 1.5 cm long. The polyps are up to 0.9 mm wide and 1.1 mm high, grouped in conical catkins.

Polyps. With a relatively regular arrangement of sclerites in eight points ( Fig. 61a View FIGURE 61 ). Abaxial and lateral point sclerites are spindles with simple tubercles and spines, largest spindles present abaxially, up to 0.40 mm long ( Fig. 62a View FIGURE 62 ), laterally they are up to 0.25 mm long ( Fig. 62b View FIGURE 62 ). In the adaxial points there are small rods and curved scales, similar to those of the tentacles, up to 0.15 mm long ( Fig. 62 View FIGURE 62 c-d). Spindles of the supporting bundle are up to 1 mm long, with simple and complex tubercles, and spines, more numerous at one end; spindles not projecting beyond the polyp ( Fig. 62e View FIGURE 62 ).

Surface layer top stalk. Spindles and unilaterally spinose spindles, up to 0.5 mm long, with simple and complex tubercles ( Fig. 62f View FIGURE 62 ).

Surface layer base stalk. Capstans, derivatives of capstans, spindles, and unilaterally spinose spindles ( Fig. 63 View FIGURE 63 ab). Capstans 0.05-0.20 mm long; spindles up to about 0.6 mm long. All sclerites with simple and complex tubercles.

Interior stalk. Robust spindles, up to 1.5 mm long, with pointed or blunt ends ( Fig. 63c View FIGURE 63 ) and simple tubercles ( Fig. 63e View FIGURE 63 ). The smaller ones are often branched ( Fig. 63d View FIGURE 63 ).

Etymology. The Latin carnatum , fat, corpulent, fleshy, refers to the very fat interior stalk spindles.

Distribution. Great Barrier Reef, Dip reef.

Remarks. Paratype NTM C3947 ( Fig. 60a View FIGURE 60 ) has even longer internal stalk spindles ( Fig. 65a View FIGURE 65 ), up to 2 mm long. Also several polyps have the supporting bundle projecting beyond the polyp body for a distance up to 0.30 mm.