Anomocora fecunda ( Pourtales , 1871)

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

Anomocora fecunda ( Pourtales, 1871)

Fig. 1A, B

Coelosmilia fecunda Pourtalès, 1871: 21-22 (in part: pl. 1, fig. 12, pl. 6, figs 14-15).

Coenosmilia fecunda . - Zibrowius 1980: 131-133 (in part: pl. 67, figs A-K).

Parasmilia fecunda . - Gardiner and Waugh 1939: 229.

Anomocora fecunda . - Cairns 1979: 127-129, pl. 24, figs 6-8, Map 35. - Cairns 2000: 128. - Reyes et al. 2009: 25-26, fig. 4L, M. - Kitahara and Cairns 2021: 452-454, figs 244E-G, 245.

Type locality.

Off Southern Straits, Florida; 124-576 m ( Cairns 1979).

Type material.

Six syntypes are deposited at the MCZ ( Cairns 1979).

Material examined.

SAMC_A073042 (1 specimen): 53 km from Shaka’s Rock/ 46 km off Zinkwasi Estuary, 29°32'53.88"S, 31°47'12.11"E; 200 m.

Description.

Corallum cylindrical, straight to gently curved, tapering towards a broken base. Axial corallite of examined specimen measures 8.1 mm in CD and 48.9 mm in H, and bears 18 secondary corallites. Secondary corallites bud irregularly, usually perpendicular to axial corallite. Calices circular to slightly elliptical (GCD:LCD = 1.00-1.1), calicular margin slightly serrated. Specimen examined has two scars of former buds on theca, with secondary corallites rarely exceeding 5 mm in CD. Costae well developed, particularly at calicular margin, corresponding with septa in size. C1 most prominent, higher costae progressively smaller. Intercostal striae shallow and narrow. Theca thin. Corallum white, with C1-2 having light greenish brown tints.

Septa hexamerally arranged in four cycles, the last cycle being incomplete, according to formula: S1 > S2 > S3 > S4 (46 septa). S1 most exsert, reaching columella with straight and vertical axial margins. S2 less exsert and half the width of S1, also with straight axial margins bearing slender ribbons. S3 not exsert, 2/3 the size of S2, also bearing ribbons that intermingle with those of S2. S4 rudimentary, with sinuous to slightly dentate axial margins. Septa mostly smooth, with growth lines along septal margin, and faint granulation perpendicular to septal margin. Fossa deep, with poorly developed trabecular columella, which is indistinguishable from S2 and S3 intermingled slender ribbons.

Distribution.

Regional: Eastern margin of South Africa, off Shaka’s Rock; 200 m. Elsewhere: Bahamas; Caribbean ( Reyes et al. 2009); eastern Gulf of Mexico; northeastern Brazil (off Maranhão); St. Peter and St. Paul Rocks ( Cairns 1979); Azores; Madeira; Canary Islands ( Zibrowius 1980); New Caledonia ( Kitahara and Cairns 2021); 37-640 m.

Remarks.

According to Cairns (1979), Anomoroca fecunda closely resembles Coenosmilia arbuscula Pourtalès, 1871, but differs in having a more elongated corallum with thin costae forming continuous ridges. Further differences are highlighted in budding: in A. fecunda buds appear randomly and detach from the theca of parent corallum before the third generation appears. However, in C. arbuscula , new buds appear equally spaced around the calicular perimeter and remain firmly attached, resulting in a small bushy colony of which the main corallite gives rise to five successive generations. Differences in columella are also noted between the two species, with A. fecunda having a faint trabecular columella and C. arbuscula a well-developed papillose columella. Examined specimen represents a new record to the southwest Indian Ocean.

Figures

Figure 1. A, B Anomocora fecunda (SAMC _ A 073042, off Shaka's Rock, 200 m) A calicular view B lateral view C, F Anomocora marchadi C, D (SAMC _ A 090093, off Durban, 49 m) C calicular view D lateral view E, F (SAM _ H 3100, off Shaka's Rock, 66 m) E calicular view F lateral view G, H Aulocyathus juvenescens (Mortensen 25, off Durban, 424 m) G calicular view H lateral view I, J Aulocyathus sp. cf. Aulocyathus matricidus (DIa 1, locality data unknown) I calicular view J lateral view K, L Caryophyllia (Acanthocyathus) grayi (USNM 91541, off Kosi Bay, 98 m) K calicular view L lateral view M, N Caryophyllia (Caryophyllia) diomedeae (MN _ SM 129, off Margate, 850 m) M calicular view N lateral view N, O Caryophyllia (Caryophyllia) ephyala (SAMC _ A 072974, off Paternoster, 440 m) O Calicular view P Lateral view. Scale bars: 10 mm.