Litophyton burfordensis, Van, 2020

Van Ofwegen, Leen P., 2020, The genus Litophyton Forskål, 1775 (Octocorallia: Alcyonacea: Nephtheidae) from Australia, Zootaxa 4764 (1), pp. 1-131 : 88

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.3803606
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03BCB717-2376-FF87-FF35-85F4FBE0FA2B
treatment provided by	Carolina
scientific name	Litophyton burfordensis
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Litophyton burfordensis View in CoL sp. nov.

( Figs. 69f View FIGURE 69 , 70 View FIGURE 70 e-f, 78-79)

Material examined. Holotype NTM C3171 , Northern Territory, Burford Is , PA4, dry reef edge exposed, 13 October 1981, coll. P. Alderslade ; paratypes: NTM C3172, NTM C3174, same data as holotype.

Description. The holotype is 7.5 cm high and 10.5 cm wide ( Fig. 69f View FIGURE 69 ). The stalk is 3 cm long, and divides in three main stems. The polyps are up to 0.7 mm wide and 0.9 mm high, grouped in conical catkins.

Polyps. With irregular arrangement of sclerites in eight points ( Fig. 70e View FIGURE 70 ). Abaxial and lateral point sclerites are spindles with spines, largest present abaxially, up to 0.40 mm long ( Fig. 78a View FIGURE 78 ), laterally they are up to 0.20 mm long ( Fig. 78b View FIGURE 78 ). In the adaxial points there are curved rods and scales, similar to those of the tentacles, up to 0.10 mm long ( Fig. 78c View FIGURE 78 ). Straight rods and ovals are present on the adaxial side of the polyp stalk, these rods are up to 0.05 mm long ( Fig. 78 View FIGURE 78 d-e). One or two supporting bundle spindles projecting beyond the polyp head for a distance up to 0.20 mm. The spindles of the supporting bundle are up to 1.50 mm long, with simple and complex tubercles ( Fig. 78f View FIGURE 78 ); some with one smooth end.

Surface layer top stalk. Spindles and unilaterally spinose spindles are present, up to 0.70 mm long, with simple and complex tubercles ( Fig. 78 View FIGURE 78 g-h).

Surface layer base stalk. Capstans, derivatives of capstans, spindles (not depicted), and unilaterally spinose spindles ( Fig. 78i View FIGURE 78 ). Capstans 0.10-0.20 mm long; spindles up to about 0.70 mm long, all with simple and complex tubercles.

Interior stalk. Spindles, up to 1.10 mm long, with pointed and blunt ends ( Fig. 78k View FIGURE 78 ) and complex tubercles ( Fig. 78l View FIGURE 78 ); a few branched. Smaller spindles have less tubercles ( Fig. 78j View FIGURE 78 ).

Etymology. Named after the type locality.

Distribution. Northern Territory, Burford Island.

Variability. NTM C3174 has much more developed polyp sclerites, even some club-like ( Figs. 70f View FIGURE 70 , 79a, e View FIGURE 79 ) and the adaxial side of the polyp stalk has scales next to the rods and ovals ( Fig. 79d View FIGURE 79 ).Although the large polyp sclerites suggest this specimen actually represents another species only one specimen with these characters was present and therefore I decided to include it in L. burfordensis till more material can be examined.

Remarks. The species resembles L. capnelliformis ( Thomson & Dean, 1931) , from Timor, Indonesia, regarding the internal stalk spindles with blunt ends ( Fig. 82 View FIGURE 82 g-h). However, L. capnelliformis lacks unilaterally spinose sclerites in the stalk ( Fig. 82 View FIGURE 82 e-f) and ovals in the polyp stalk ( Fig. 82a View FIGURE 82 ). Noteworthy, the polyp sclerite arrangement of L. capnelliformis is not clear due to a large amount of detritus present in the polyps. Therefore, the one polyp drawn ( Fig. 82a View FIGURE 82 ) could have rods in the adaxial side as other polyps do, the rods are possibly just hidden in between the detritus.

The species also resembles L. oxleyensis sp. nov., but that species has many scales in the polyp head or no rods in the polyp stalk. Moreover, L. oxleyensis has less developed point sclerites and more tuberculated surface stalk sclerites. However, I don’t exclude the possibility that these differences represent intraspecific variation. Pending examination of more material L. oxleyensis and L. burfordensis are maintained as different species.