Terrazoanthus sp. 1

Reimer, James D., Poliseno, Angelo & Hoeksema, Bert W., 2014, Shallow-water zoantharians (Cnidaria, Hexacorallia) from the Central Indo-Pacific, ZooKeys 444, pp. 1-57 : 15

Taxon classification Animalia Zoantharia Hydrozoanthidae

16. Terrazoanthus sp. 1 Figures 14A, B, 15

Specimens examined

(n=1). RMNH Coel 40469, Fauna Malesiana Maluku Expedition station MAL.05, Leitimur, outer Ambon Bay, Tanjung Bentang, Ambon, Moluccas (03°35'S, 128°05'E), depth = NA, collected on November 7, 1996 by J.C. den Hartog.

Photographic records

(n=1). West Pulau Badi, Spermonde Archipelago, South Sulawesi (04°58'06"S, 119°16'57"E), September 29, 1997.

Description.

Azooxanthellate. Polyps well free and clear of coenenchyme. Outer surface of polyps covered with dense incrustation of irregularly sized sand particles, reminiscent of Microzoanthus sp. Oral disk semi-translucent with dark, almost black coloration, except for oral opening, which is much lighter in color. 40 to 50 tentacles, at least as long as oral disk diameter, with same blackish coloration as oral disk, with terminal 1/4 whitish in coloration. Colonies attached to non-living substrate. Specimen RMNH Coel 40469 is apparently a fragment of a whole colony, while the photographic record shows a colony of approximately 50 polyps arising from a common coenenchyme (Figure 14A). The single specimen had polyps averaging 6.8 mm in length (n=3) and 3.1 mm in width (n=6).

Distribution.

Regions recorded in this study (Figure 15). Spermonde Archipelago (9), Moluccas (14).

Previous records. None, although similar undescribed specimens have been photographed in the Philippines (P. Poppe, pers. comm.), and collected from Okinawa, Japan (Reimer, unpubl. data), indicating a potential West Pacific distribution.

Remarks.

This species is similar in appearance but different in coloration to Terrazoanthus onoi from the Galapagos and west coast of Central and South America.