Madrepora oculata Linnaeus, 1758

Filander, Zoleka N., Kitahara, Marcelo V., Cairns, Stephen D., Sink, Kerry J. & Lombard, Amanda T., 2021, Azooxanthellate Scleractinia (Cnidaria, Anthozoa) from South Africa, ZooKeys 1066, pp. 1-198 : 1

Madrepora oculata Linnaeus, 1758

Fig. 14I

Madrepora oculata Linnaeus, 1758: 798. -Esper 1791: 108, pl. 12, figs 1-3. -von Marenzeller 1904b: 79. -Durham and Barnard 1952: 11. - Squires 1959a: 5. - Eguchi 1968: C29, pl. C8, figs 1-9. - Best 1970: 298, fig. 2. - Bourcier and Zibrowius 1973: 826, figs 6, 7. - Zibrowius 1974a: 761-766, pl. 2, figs 3-5. - Zibrowius 1980: 36-40, pl. 13, figs A-P. -Zibrowius and Grieshaber 1977: 377. - Cairns 1979: 39-42, pl. 3, fig. 2, pl. 4, fig. 5, pl. 5, figs 1-3. -Zibrowius 1979: 21. - Zibrowius 1980: 36-40, pl. 13, figs A-P. - Cairns 1982: 15, pl. 3, figs 4-6. -Cairns 1984: 10, pl. 1, fig. H. - Cairns 1991 a: 9-10, pl. 2, fig. J, pl. 3, figs A-D. - Cairns and Keller 1993: 233. -Cairns 1994: 18-19, pl. 3, figs F-H. - Cairns 1995: 41, pl. 5, figs C-F, pl. 6, figs A, B. - Cairns and Zibrowius 1997: 79-80. - Cairns 1998: 372-374, fig. 1F-L. -Cairns 1999: 61, fig. 2E, F. - Cairns et al. 1999: 35. -Cairns 2004a: 274-275. -Le Goff-Vitry et al. 2004: 171, 173. -Kitahara 2006: 58, fig. 2A, B. -Kitahara 2007: 500-501, fig. 2G. - Cairns 2009: 4. - Kitahara et al. 2010b. -Miller et al. 2010, 3-5, 7, 9-10, 12. - Kitahara and Cairns 2021: 447-449, figs 241G-I, 243.

Amphihelia oculata . - Milne-Edwards and Haime 1857: 119. - Duncan 1873: 326, pl. 45, figs 1-3. - Alcock 1902c: 35. -von Marenzeller 1904a: 308-310, pl. 14, fig. 1. - Gravier 1920: 89, pl. 10, fig. 158-164.

Amphihelia ramea . - Duncan 1873: 326, pl. 44, figs 1-3, pl. 45, figs 4-6, pl. 46, figs 1-19. -Jordon 1895: 26. - Alcock 1902c: 35.

Lophohelia candida . - Moseley 1881: 179-180, pl. 9, figs 6-13.

Lophohelia tenuis . - Moseley 1881: 180-181, pl. 8, figs 11-14. -Bourne 1903: 26.

Cyathohelia formosa Alcock, 1898: 26-27, figs 2, 2A.

Lophohelia investigatoris Alcock, 1898: 24-25.

Desmophyllum sp. - Alcock 1902c: 28.

Madrepora kauaiensis Vaughan, 1907: 83-81, pl. 8, figs 1-2. - Gardiner and Waugh 1939: 227. -Crossland 1952: 121. - Wells 1964: 109. - Veron 1986: 599. - Cairns 2006: 47.

Amphihelia sp. -Gardiner 1913: 689.

Madrepora tenuis . -Faustino 1927: 107-108, pl. 14, figs 2, 5.

Madrepora alcocki Faustino, 1927: 106.

Madrepora formosa . - Zibrowius 1974b: 568-570, figs 6-9.

Lophelia exigua . - Boshoff 1981: 37.

Madrepora sp. - Veron 1986: 599.

Type locality.

Tyrrhenian Sea and Sicily, Mediterranean; depth unknown ( Cairns and Zibrowius 1997).

Type material.

Types are lost ( Zibrowius 1980).

Material examined.

ORI_DIIIf1 (1 fragment): Locality data unknown. SAM_H3038 (5 fragments): Eastern margin, 17 km from St. Lucia Estuary / 16 km off Mfolozi Estuary, 28°21'53.99"S, 32°34'36.00"E; 775-825 m. SAM_H3039 (10 fragments): Eastern margin, 36 km off Port Shepstone / 49 km off Mtentu Estuary, 30°43'11.99"S, 30°48'47.99"E; 900 m. SAM_H3040 (1 fragments): Southern margin, 36 km from Port Shepstone / 29 km off Mhlabatshane Estuary, 30°43' 11.99" S, 30°48'47.99"E; 780 m.

Description.

Corallum colonial, with delicate distal branches. Colonies usually bushy but distal branches uniplanar, with sympodially arranged corallites. Corallites circular, reaching ≤ 3.0 mm in CD, with slightly serrated calicular margin. Costae thin and prominent near calicular edge, usually corresponding to higher cycle septa. Coenosteum finely granular, longitudinally striated. Corallum light beige to white.

Septa thin and hexamerally arranged in three complete cycles according to the formula: S1 > S2 > S3 (24 septa). S1 highly exsert, extending towards columella deep in fossa with dentate and sometimes laciniate axial margin. S2 less exsert, half the width of S1, and have dentate axial edges. S3 rudimentary and discontinuous. Fossa deep, containing a poorly developed papillose columella.

Distribution.

Regional: Southern and Eastern margins of South Africa, off Still Bay ( Boshoff 1981) extending towards St Lucia; 780-900 m. Elsewhere: Cosmopolitan, apart from Antarctica ( Alcock 1898; von Marenzeller 1904a; Gardiner and Waugh 1938; Zibrowius 1980; Cairns 1979, 1982, 1984; Cairns and Keller 1993; Cairns 2004a); 15-1950 m.

Remarks.

Madrepora oculata is one of the most well-studied framework building azooxanthellate coral species, and has been reported worldwide (apart from Antarctica). The first record from South Africa was identified as Lophelia exigua Pourtalès, 1871 ( Boshoff 1981) (ORI_DIIIf1), but two localities were listed, making it unclear where the sample was collected. Nonetheless, both of the stations fall within the southern margin of South Africa. One of the examined specimens (SAM_H3038) is attached to hexactinellid sponge spicules

Figures

Figure 14. A, B. Letepsammia formosissima (SAM _ H 1429, off Kidds Beach, 79 m) A calicular view B basal view C, D Letepsammia franki (SAMC _ A 090070, off Durban, 95 m) C calicular view D basal view E, F Rhombopsammia niphada (SAM _ H 1390, off Port Alfred, 90 m) E calicular view F basal view G, H Stephanophyllia fungulus (SAMC _ A 073106, Cape Vidal, 140 m) G calicular view H basal view I Madrepora oculata (SAM _ H 3038, off St Lucia, 825 m) full view J, L Culicia sp. cf. Culicia australiensis (SAMC _ A 073032, off Shaka's Rock, 50 m) J calicular view K full view L septa details M, N Culicia excavata. M (UCTES _ DBN 85 H, off Ispongo, depth unknown): full view N (BMNH 1840.09.30.19, Cape of Good Hope, depth unknown): Calicular view O, P Stenocyathus vermiformis (SAM _ H 3213, off Cintsa, 630 m) O calicular view P lateral view Scale bars: 10 mm (A-H, J-N); 100 mm (I); 2 mm (O, P).