Turbinaria, Oken, 1815

Salimi, Parisa Alidoost, Mostafavi, Pargol Ghavam, Chen, Chaolun Allen, Fatemi, Seyed Mohammad Reza & Pichon, Michel, 2018, Microphysogobio bicolor, Zoological Studies 57 (56), pp. 1-34 : 7-8

Turbinaria peltata ( Esper, 1794)

( Fig. 6 )

Synonym: Madrepora peltata Esper, 1794; Gemmipora peltata Esper, 1794, Turbinaria dichotoma Verrill, 1870; Turbinaria maxima Ortmann, 1888.

Material examined: Sirri Island ( ZUTC 6588).

Other Material: Kish ( ZUTC 6589).

Description: Colony is a horizontal plate, thickness range 7-13 mm. Corallites are conspicuously larger than in any other Turbinaria species. Corallites arrangement is plocoid, from slightly protruding to immersed, also present on the edge of the corallum. Corallites average diameter 4 mm. Septa arranged mostly in 2 orders with 20-23 septa, at time hardly distinguishable. They project inwards 1/2 calice radius. Columella is one or a few elongate lamellar process with granulated sides. Costae absent. Coenosteum and exotheca are reticulated and echinulated.

Remarks: It is mostly found in the deeper parts of the reefs. Affinities of T. peltata to the genus Duncanopsammia, Wells, 1936 have been suggested by Arrigoni et al. 2014.

Distribution: Not common in the Persian Gulf and usually can be found in deeper waters.

Figures

Fig. 6. (a) Turbinaria peltata from Sirri Island. Scale bar = 1 cm; (b-d) close-up of corallites and columella. Scale bar = 1 mm. © 2018 Academia Sinica, Taiwan