Deltocyathus cameratus Cairns, 1999

Kitahara, Marcelo V. & Cairns, Stephen D., 2009, A revision of the genus Deltocyathus Milne Edwards & Haime, 1848 (Scleractinia, Caryophylliidae) from New Caledonia, with the description of a new species, Zoosystema 31 (2), pp. 233-248 : 244-245

Deltocyathus cameratus Cairns, 1999 ( Fig. 1I)

Deltocyathus cameratus Cairns, 1999: 95 , figs 12g-i, 13a; 2004: 280.

TYPE MATERIAL. — The holotype and 38 paratypes are deposited at the MNHN (uncatalogued), and 15 at the USNM (98687 [1], 98688 [4], 98689 [1], 98690 [1], 98691 [3], 98692 [1], 98693 [4]).

TYPE LOCALITY. — 18°52’S, 168°52’E (Erromango, Vanuatu), 720- 830 m.

NEW RECORDS. — NORFOLK 2, stn DW 2086, 2 specimens (MNHN-Scl.2008-0032); stn DW 2103, 2 specimens (MNHN-Scl.2008-0033); 2 specimens ( USNM 1114123 ) .

DISTRIBUTION. — New Caledonia waters from 23°57’S, 167°44’E to 24°56’S, 168°22’E, 707- 777 m. Previous records: known only in the Pacific Ocean from Wallis and

Futuna region, 305-1010 m, and Vanuatu region (Cairns 1999), 512-1175 m to Lord Howe Rise,including Elizabeth Reef and Britannia ( Cairns 2004), 419-1078 m.

DESCRIPTION

Calice circular with lancetted margin. Lancets correspond to each C3 and C4 that project outward. All costae ridged and covered with low rounded granules. Intercostal grooves more prominent at calicular edge and coarsely pointed spines are present in this region. Between C3 and C4, intercostal grooves are slightly shallower than others, and just C1 and C2 originate at centre of base. C4 smaller than C3. Base slightly conical. Corallum white but reddish-brown in well-preserved coralla.

Septa hexamerally arranged in 4 complete cycles (S1>S2>S4>S3). S1 only independent septa and extend half distance to columella. Each S1 bears a lamellar paliform lobe, which encircles the columella forming the first palar crown. S2 less wide and exsert than S1, bearing a palus more recessed from columella than P1. S3 smallest septa, but posses the tallest palus which fuses S 2 in a well-developed lamellar structure. P3 form outermost crown. S4 less exsert but slightly wider than S3. Each pair of S4 fuses the flanked S3 with a porous lamella that extend lower in theca almost to columella. All septa and palar faces coarsely granulated.

Fossa nonextant containing a well-developed papillose columella formed by 10-15 granular rods.

REMARKS

Among the other four non-spined species of Deltocyathus from New Caledonia with four septal cycles, D. cameratus is distinguished by the conical base with pointed centre, calicular margin lancetted, and the well-developed lamellar fusions of the S4 to P3 and S3 to P2.