Tubastraea, Lesson, 1829

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

Tubastraea Tubastraea diaphana (Dana, 1846)

Figs 10P , 11A

Dendrophyllia diaphana Dana, 1846: 389, pl. 27, fig. 3. - Vaughan 1918: 144-145, pl. 60, figs 2, 3.

Dendrophyllia aequiserialis Quelch, 1886: 147.

Dendrophyllia micranthus var. fruticosa Nemenzo, 1960: 17-18, pl. 9, fig. 1.

Tubastraea diaphana . -Scheer and Pillai 1983: 174, pl. 41, figs 1-4. - Cairns and Keller 1993: 284, pl. 13, fig. H. - Cairns and Zibrowius 1997: 196-197. - Cairns 1998: 409-410 . - Cairns 2001: 29. -Cairns 2004a: 318.

Dendrophyllia sibogae van der Horst,1922: 56-57, pl. 8, figs 18, 19.

Type locality.

Singapore, depth unknown ( Dana 1846).

Type material.

The holotype is deposited at the NMNH (Cairns 1994).

Material examined.

SAM_H5103 (1 specimen): Eastern margin, 59 km from Cape Vidal/ 9 km off Mgobezeleni Estuary, 27°36'38.45"S, 32°40'02.99"E; 59 m.

Description.

Colonies phaceloid, forming small bushy clusters of corallites. Branching achieved by extra-tentacular budding fairly closely at broad base (BD = 1.6). Corallites circular to slightly elliptical (GCD:LCD = 1.0-1.1), and ≤ 27.4 mm in H. Theca thin and porous. Costae well developed, particularly C1, which is the same-size as associated primary septa. Corallum white. Tissue pale orange in live specimen.

Septa hexamerally arranged in four cycles, last cycle being incomplete, according to the formula: S1 > S2 > S3-4 (48 septa). S1 exsert, with straight axial margins. S2 less than ¼ width of S1, and have dentate axial margins. S3-4 rudimentary, being wider deeper in fossa, and bearing dentate lower axial margins. Fossa of exceptional depth and spacious, containing a spongy columella.

Distribution.

Regional: Eastern margin of South Africa, off Aliwal shoal ( Cairns and Keller 1993) and Cape Vidal; 9-59 m. Elsewhere: Zanzibar; Madagascar ( Cairns and Keller 1993); Red Sea (Scheer and Pillai 1983); Australia (Cairns 2004a); Philippines ( Cairns and Zibrowius 1997); Indonesia (van der Horst 1922); New Caledonia ( Kitahara and Cairns 2021); Singapore (Dana 1946); 1-30 m

Remarks.

The examined specimen closely resembles Tubastraea diaphana (Dana, 1846) in that its corallum is phaceloid, a species reported by Cairns and Keller (1993) to occur in the Natal region. However, differences are observed in the tertiary and quaternaries septa: both being restricted to the calicular margin, tissue being pale orange, and in bearing a spongy columella (Fig. 10O ). The specimen examined herein was collected at 23 m deeper depth than the maximum depth of Tubastraea diaphana .

Figures

Figure 10. A, B Heteropsammia cochlea (ORI _ EIe 1, locality data unknown) A calicular view B lateral view C, D Heteropsammia eupsammides (ZMK, locality data unknown) C calicular view D calicular view E-H Pourtalopsammia togata E, F (SAM _ H 2829, off East London, 146 - 238 m) E calicular view F lateral view G, H (SAM _ H 2831, off Cintsa, 159 m) G calicular view H lateral view I, J Rhizopsammia annae (SAM _ H 1497, off the Agulhas, depth unknown) I calicular view J lateral view K, L Rhizopsammia compacta (SAMC _ A 073041, off Kosi Bay Estuary, 69 m) K calicular view L lateral view M, N Rhizopsammia verrilli (SAM _ H 1502, off Richards Bay, 165 m) M calicular view N lateral view O Tubastraea coccinea (ORI _ EIb 4, Isipingo; depth unknown) P Tubastraea sp. cf. Tubastraea diaphana (SAM _ H 5103, Cape Vidal, 59 m): Calicular view. Scale bars: 10 mm.

Figure 11. A Tubastraea sp. cf. Tubastraea diaphana (SAM _ H 5103, Cape Vidal, 59 m) A lateral view B Tubastraea micranthus (ORI _ EIb 3, locality data unknown) B full view C, D Flabellum (Flabellum) leptoconus (ORI _ DIIa 1, Port St. Johns, 409 - 440 m) C calicular view D lateral view E, H Flabellum (Flabellum) pavoninum E, F (SAMC _ A 073135, off Coffee Bay, 250 - 280 m) E calicular view F lateral view G, H (SAM _ H 4582, off Shaka's Rock, 150 m) G calicular view H lateral view I, J Flabellum (Flabellum) politum (SAMC _ A 090160, off Shaka's Rock, 53 - 57 m) I calicular view J lateral view K, L Flabellum (Ulocyathus) alabastrum (SAMC _ A 090102, off the Agulhas, 168 m) K calicular view L lateral view M, N Flabellum (Ulocyathus) lowekeyesi (SAM _ H 1695, off Kosi Bay Estuary, 720 - 780 m) M calicular view N lateral view O, P Javania antarctica (SAMC _ A 090150, off Gouritsmond, 333 m) O calicular view P lateral view. Scale bars: 10 mm.