Caryophyllia ambrosia caribbeana Cairns, 1979

Reyes, Javier, Santodomingo, Nadiezhda & Cairns, Stephen, 2009, Caryophylliidae (Scleractinia) from the Colombian Caribbean, Zootaxa 2262 (1), pp. 1-39 : 8

Caryophyllia ambrosia caribbeana Cairns, 1979

Figs. 2F–G

Caryophyllia communis var. costata Pourtalès, 1880: 100 , pl. 1, figs. 12–13.

Caryophyllia ambrosia Boone, 1928: 7–8 , pls. 2–3.— Keller, 1975: 180, pl. 2, figs. 5–8.

? Caryophyllia clavus Lewis, 1965: 1063.

Caryophyllia ambrosia caribbeana Cairns, 1979: 56–59 , pl V, fig 4, pl VI, figs 1–3, 9.—Lattig, 2000: 114–115, fig. 59.— Reyes et al., 2005: 324 (listed).— Kitahara, 2007: 500–501, fig. 2L. — Santodomingo et al., 2007: 286 (listed).

Remarks: This species is one of the most abundant azooxanthellate coral species inhabiting the deep soft and muddy bottoms along the Colombian Caribbean. The solitary and free corallites exhibit a base slightly curved (45º to 90º). Some larger corallites present a light brown pigmentation, while the smaller ones are white. Colombian material fit in the size range described by Cairns (1979).

Distribution: Widespread species, along the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, from Florida to Uruguay; between 183 m and 1646 m depth ( Cairns 1979). In Colombia, it has been collected from La Guajira Peninsula to the Gulf of Uraba, between 200 and 814 m depth.

Material: USNM 45972 , holotype , P-388; USNM 45973 , 15 specimens , P-394; USNM 48945 , O-4907; USNM 48940 , O-4911; USNM 48925 , O-10825; INV CNI350 , 1 specimen , E7; INV CNI351 , 1 specimen , E8; INV CNI352 , 10 specimens , E25; INV CNI353 , 25 specimens , E26; INV CNI354 , 8 specimens , E30; INV CNI355 , 15 specimens , E35; INV CNI356 , 22 specimens , E36; INV CNI357 , 14 specimens , E37; INV CNI358 , 1 specimen , E37; INV CNI359 , 2 specimens , E38; INV CNI360 , 2 specimens , E49; INV CNI361 , 7 specimens , E54; INV CNI362 , 1 specimen , E55; INV CNI363 , 1 specimen , E60; INV CNI364 , 7 specimens , E63; INV CNI365 , 10 specimens , E64; INV CNI366 , 1 specimen , E64; INV CNI367 , 14 specimens , E67; INV CNI368 , 5 specimens , E68; INV CNI369 , 1 specimen , E71; INV CNI370 , 4 specimens , E75; INV CNI371 , 1 specimen , E5; INV CNI372 , 1 specimen , E46; INV CNI373 , 2 specimens , E59; INV CNI374 , 1 specimen , E76; INV CNI375 , 1 specimen , E78; INV CNI657 , 1 specimen , E140; INV CNI658 , 1 specimen , E150; INV CNI659 , 1 specimen , E150; INV CNI660 , 2 specimens , E154; INV CNI661 , 16 specimens , E153; INV CNI662 , 30 specimens , E153; INV CNI663 , 2 specimens , E113; INV CNI2675 , 4 specimens , D9.

Figures

FIGURE 2. A–B, Caryophyllia berteriana, INV CNI2553, off San Bernardo Islands, calicular and lateral views, both x 1.5; C, Caryophyllia crypta, USNM 99187, Santa Marta, paratype, x 4; D–E, Caryophyllia barbadensis, INV CNI669, off San Bernardo Islands, calicular and lateral views, both x 10; F–G, Caryophyllia ambrosia caribbeana, INV CNI364, off La Rada inlet, calicular and lateral views, both x 1.6; H–I, Coenocyathus parvulus, INV CNI671, off San Bernardo Islands, calicular and lateral views, both x 10; J–K, Trochocyathus rawsonii, INV CNI681, off Gulf of Morrosquillo, calicular and lateral views, both x 3.2; L–M, Trochocyathus sp. cf. T. fasciatus, INV CNI379, off Santa Marta, calicular and lateral views, both x 4.6; N, Tethocyathus prahli, INV CNI905, off La Guajira (Punta Gallinas), calicular view x 2.7; O, T. prahli, INV CNI1514, off Chocó, Pacific Ocean, calicular view x 2.7; P–Q, Tethocyathus variabilis, INV CNI2404, off San Bernardo Islands, calicular and lateral views, both x 4; R–S, Paracyathus pulchellus, INV CNI2305, off La Guajira, calicular and lateral views, both x 4.4; T–U, Polycyathus senegalensis, INV CNI809, off La Guajira, calicular view and colony, both x 2.7; V, Cladocora debilis, INV CNI877, off Palomino, colony fragment showing typical branching pattern, x 0.8. Scale bars for A–B, F–G,V = 1 cm;C, J–U = 5 mm; D–E, H–I = 1 mm.