Neospongodes atlantica Kükenthal, 1903

Castro, C. B., Medeiros, M. S. & Loiola, L. L., 2010, Octocorallia (Cnidaria: Anthozoa) from Brazilian reefs, Journal of Natural History 44 (13 - 14), pp. 763-827 : 773-775

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.1080/00222930903441160
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/554D1963-FFF7-FFF1-FE13-F6890EF76188
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Neospongodes atlantica Kükenthal, 1903
status

Treatment

Neospongodes atlantica Kükenthal, 1903 View in CoL

( Figures 1 View Figure 1 , 2B,B′ View Figure 2 , 4)

Neospongodes atlantica Kükenthal 1903: 274 View in CoL ; Verseveldt 1983: 6–9, figs. 3–4, pl. 2, figs. 1–3; Hetzel and Castro 1994: 84–85 (photos only).

Neospongodes bahiensis Kükenthal 1903: 274–275 View in CoL .

? Neospongodes portoricensis: Tixier-Durivault 1970: 148 . [Non- Spongodes portoricensis Hargitt View in CoL in Hargitt and Rogers 1901: 279, fig. B. = Stereonephthya Kükenthal, 1905 View in CoL , according to Verseveldt 1983: 9]

Diagnosis

Similar to the diagnosis of the genus, which is currently monospecific.

Description

For a complete description see Verseveldt (1983: 6–9, 11, text–figs. 3a,b, 4a–p, pl.2, fig.1–3).

Material

Brazil: “Norte” [North] (MNRJ 00335); Rio Grande do Norte (MNRJ 00334); Bahia (USNM 55655,56678; MNRJ 01393, 01842, 01960, 01961, 01962, 02238, 02475, 02848, 02678, 02738, 02763, 02948, 03062, 03390, 03818, 04304, 04305, 04877).

Comparative material

Neospongodes portoricensis (Hargitt in Hargitt and Rogers 1901) – Cuba (USNM 7184); Puerto Rico? (USNM 43777); Barbados (USNM 49521, 52525); Neospongodes sp. – Surinam (USNM 55649).

Siphonogorgia caribaea ( Deichmann, 1936) View in CoL – Barbados (USNM 52532); Gulf of Mexico (USNM 51592).

Siphonogorgia agassizi ( Deichmann, 1936) – Gulf of Mexico (USNM 51015).

Type depository

“ Zoologisches Museum Hamburg” ( ZMH C2350 View Materials ) ( Verseveldt 1983) .

Type locality

Bahia ( Brazil) ( Kükenthal 1903; Verseveldt 1983).

Geographic distribution

Off north-eastern and eastern Brazil ( Figure 1 View Figure 1 ).

Remarks

Five species have been assigned to the genus Neospongodes : Spongodes portoricensis Hargitt in Hargitt and Rogers 1901; Neospongodes atlantica Kükenthal, 1903 ; N. bahiensis Kükenthal, 1903 ; N. agassizi Deichmann, 1936 ; N. caribaea Deichmann, 1936 . Stereonephthya portoricensis was initially transferred to Neospongodes ( Kükenthal 1905: 718; Deichmann 1936: 67–69; Bayer 1961: 56) and, later, to Stereonephthya Kükenthal, 1905 ( Verseveldt 1983: 9–13). According to Bayer (1961: 56), N. agassizi and N. caribaea belong to the genus Siphonogorgia Kölliker, 1874 .

Neospongodes atlantica View in CoL (type species by subsequent designation – Deichmann 1936: 66) and N. bahiensis View in CoL have been considered close to each other since their original description by Kükenthal (1903: 275). Deichmann (1936: 70) suggested that these species were synonyms of her N. agassizi , although this species actually belonged to another genus. Verseveldt (1983: 6–9, 11) concluded that N. atlantica View in CoL and N. bahiensis View in CoL were synonyms after studying both type materials. Therefore, Neospongodes View in CoL is currently considered a monospecific genus.

Recently, a second Nephtheidae View in CoL species was recorded from Brazil. Chromonephthea braziliensis van Ofwegen, 2005 View in CoL , was described based on specimens from Arraial do Cabo (23° S), Rio de Janeiro State, south-eastern Brazilian coast, with a remark that this is probably an invasive species ( Ofwegen 2005). The species was first reported to this site as Stereonephthya View in CoL aff. curvata by Ferreira (2003), who stated that it was probably introduced into the region at the beginning of the 1990s, possibly transported as fouling on oil platforms. Lages et al. (2006) demonstrated experimentally that the presence of C. braziliensis View in CoL could threaten the endemic gorgonian Phyllogorgia dilatata View in CoL .