Bebryce satsumaensis, Matsumoto, Asako K. & van Ofwegen, Leen P., 2016

Matsumoto, Asako K. & van Ofwegen, Leen P., 2016, The genus Bebryce (Cnidaria, Octocorallia, Plexauridae) at Japan, with descriptions of three new species, ZooKeys 587, pp. 1-20 : 6

Taxon classification Animalia Alcyonacea Plexauridae

Bebryce satsumaensis sp. n. Figures 1, 2e, 9, 10

Material examined.

Holotype RMNH Coel. 42077 (AKM760), off Sata-misaki Cape, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan, 30°56.0025'N, 130°44.2299'E - 30°56.2953'N, 130°43.3981'E, depth range 116-120 m, RV Tansei-maru, KT07-1 cruise, st. SM-1, chain bag dredge, coll. A.K. Matsumoto, 23 February 2007; paratypes RMNH Coel. 42078 (AKM 1629), off Sata-misaki Cape, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan, 31°00.50'N, 130°35.09'E - 31°01.3211'N, 130°34.6509'E, depth range 178-189 m, RV Tansei-maru, KT07-1 cruise, st. SM-2, coll. A.K. Matsumoto, 23 February 2007; UMUTZ-CnidG-49, off Kozushima I., Izu Is., Sagami Bay, Japan, Ohnoura-maru, 24 August 1893; UMUTZ-CnidG-90, Yamagawa, below Kaimon-dake mt., Kagoshima Bay (Kagoshima Prefecture), Japan, depth 70 Japanese fathoms (100-106 m), Prof. Mitsukuri & Hara Satsuma Exp., long line, coll. S. Azuma, 8 April 1896; UMUTZ-CnidG-91, Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, depth 120 hiro (Japanese fathoms (171-181 m)), coll. I. Ijima, August 1895; ZMUC-ANT-000645 (ZMUC 120604-39), East China Sea, 32°15'N, 128°12'E, depth 90 fms (165 m), hard bottom, gear: Shveber, Hyateri-maru, Dr. Th. Mortensen’s Pacific Expedition 1914-1915, coll. Dr. Th. Mortensen, 15 May 1914; RMNH Coel. 42079 (AKM 1092), Shin-sone bank, Danjo Is., Japan, East China Sea, 31°54.61'N, 128°19.56'N, - 31°54.64'N, 128°19.41'E, depth range 200-210 m, RV Tanisei-maru, KT08-3(Oji leg), st. GT02(2), ORI-TI chain bag dredge, coll. A.K. Matsumoto, 7 March 2008.

Description.

The holotype RMNH Coel. 42077 consists of a sparsely branched colony about 5 cm long and a few loose branches (Figure 2e). The calyces are placed spirally all around the slender branches, which are about 1 mm wide. The dome-shaped calyces are about 1 mm wide and high.

The anthocodiae are armed with a crown and points consisting of a transverse crown with curved, rather smooth spindles up to 0.45 mm long (Figure 9a) and eight points formed by spindles 0.3 mm long (Figure 9b) placed in a chevron-like pattern beneath the tentacles. These spindles have simple tubercles and a distal spiny end. The tentacles contain flattened, dragon wing sclerites up to 0.2 mm long (Figure 9c).

The sclerites of the outer surface of coenenchyme and calyces are rosettes consisting of a cup-shaped thorny projection arising from a warty base. Several, about 0.15 mm tall, have a widely flared calyx part about 0.15 mm in greatest diameter with slightly serrated rim with some spines, joined by a smooth, slender stem to a warty base narrower than the calyx (Figures 9e, 10d). Others have a less serrated rim which does not flare out (Figure 10c). Toward the calycular apertures the rosettes become asymmetrical (Figure 9d), with the margin of the calyx becoming much elongated, forming a blade-like process that projects from the surface and surrounds the calycular aperture. These sclerites are up to 0.25 mm long.

The deeper layer of coenenchyme contains stellate plates, 4-6 rayed forms up to 0.10 mm in the greater diameter, with a central process (Figure 10a). Stellate sclerites with a prominent, thorny central process, intermediate in form between the cup-shaped outer forms and the stellate plates of the deeper coenenchyme are not uncommon (Figure 10b).

Colour. The holotype is brown.

Etymology.

Named after the type locality, Satsuma (old name of Kagoshima prefecture).

Comparisons.

The rosettes with weakly serrate rim and few spines are unique for this species within the genus. Bebryce brunnea (Nutting, 1908) and Bebryce cofferi Bayer and Ofwegen, 2016 resemble this species but have rosettes with more serrate rim.

Remarks.

ZMUC-ANT-000645 (ZMUC 120604-39) was listed as? Bebryce sp. in Matsumoto 2014.

The species occurs in South Japan up to Sagami Bay, in the depth range 100-210 m.