Heteropolypus roseus, Dautova, 2022

Dautova, Tatiana N., 2022, New species of deep-sea Heteropolypus soft corals (Anthozoa: Octocorallia) from the Kurile Islands, Sea of Okhotsk (Northwest Pacific), with summary data on distinctive characters of the known species of the genus, European Journal of Taxonomy 806 (1), pp. 128-147 : 137-145

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5852/ejt.2022.806.1711
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6402831
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/0E6987C1-FB4A-293E-FDA9-63A0EE4AEB06
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Heteropolypus roseus
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Heteropolypus roseus sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:3747DFBE-FDD1-467A-ABDC-1138E9BEDD75

Figs 6–8 View Fig View Fig View Fig , Table 1 View Table 1

Diagnosis

Mushroom-shaped Heteropolypus colony with dome-shaped capitulum and distinct wrinkled stalk. The anthocodiae of autozooids in alcohol-preserved material are up to 12 mm high and up to 6 mm wide, completely retractile, evenly distributed on the surface of the capitulum.Anthocodia wall is cylindrical in shape and with a smooth surface with some transverse folds; anthocodial armature evenly distributed in it. Siphonozooids are small, slightly razed above the surface of the capitulum. Mesozooids are crowded near the margin of the capitulum. Sclerites of autozooid tentacles are vesiculate plates with dentate edges and a median constriction or a diagonal keel, elongated plates with asymmetrically developed ends, clublike spindles and clubs, vesiculate spindles, and capstans. Anthocodia walls contain 6-radiate or 8-radiate capstans. Pharynx has tuberculate plates with rounded edges and rods, all these with a narrow median waist or constriction. Surface of the capitulum and the stalk contains 6-, 7- and 8-radiate capstans; colony interior contains long, slender needles with a smooth median part and spiny trihedral ends. Alcoholpreserved specimen is pale rose, sclerites red or rose.

Etymology

The specific epithet refers to the colour of the holotype anthocodia which is similar to a wild rose.

Type material

Holotype SEA OF OKHOTSK – Kurile Islands • colony 42 × 45 mm; Kunashir Is.; expedition of PIBOC FEB RAS and NSCMB FEB RAS on RV Akademik Oparin, station 51; 44°49′ N, 146°23.1′ E; depth 550 m; 24 Jul. 2005; A. Chernyshov leg.; dredged; MIMB 42495 View Materials . GoogleMaps

Description

Holotype

The specimen is about 45 mm tall ( Fig. 6A View Fig ). The capitulum is rounded, dome-shaped and elliptical in the cross section, 20 × 27 mm across and 27 mm high. The stalk is 14 mm in diameter, chaotically wrinkled. Anthocodiae of autozooids are partially retractile into calyces which have sinked rims; only the tentacles are seen above the surface of the capitulum. In contraction, the upper part of the anthocodiae project from the bottom of cylindrical pits in the capitulum. Between the autozooids, numerous tiny siphonozooids occur; these are seen as small verrucae, very slightly raised above the capitulum surface and densely crowded giving to the surface of capitulum granulated appearance ( Fig. 6A–B View Fig ). About 100 siphonozooids occur in an area of 5 mm 2.

Mesozooids are crowded along the margin of the capitulum and fully retracted; only small craters 1–1.5 mm in diameter are visible at the capitulum surface ( Fig. 6B–C View Fig , arrows 1).

Autozooid tentacles contain vesiculate plates with dentate edges and a median constriction or a diagonal keel, elongated plates with asymmetrically developed ends, club-like spindles and clubs, vesiculate blunt spindles, and capstans. Densely vesiculated plates, up to 0.10 mm long, have dentate edges and a narrow median waist ( Fig. 7A View Fig ); some plates are elongated, less denticulate, with a narrow median part, up to 0.15 mm long ( Fig. 7B View Fig ). Some dentate plates, up to 0.15 mm long, have a narrow median part and a diagonal keel ( Fig. 7C View Fig ). Some elongated plates, up to 0.15 mm long, are slightly bent and have asymmetrically developed ends ( Fig 7D View Fig ). Club-like spindles are up to 0.15 mm long ( Fig. 7E View Fig ). Clubs have plump heads and thick handles, and are up to 0.11 mm long ( Fig. 5F View Fig ). Warty spindles, up to 0.12 mm long, have blunt ends ( Fig. 7G View Fig ). Some capstans (6-rayed), usually up to 0.06 mm long, have round outlines; another ones, up to 0.1 mm long, are elongated, 8-rayed or bear unordered warts ( Fig. 7H View Fig ).

Pharynx contains vesiculated biscuit-like plates with a narrow median constriction and rounded edges, up to 0.07 mm long ( Fig. 8A View Fig ), and rods with blunt ends and a narrow median part, up to 0.09 mm long ( Fig. 8B View Fig ). Anthocodial walls contain 6-radiate or 8-radiate capstans, up to 0.09 mm long ( Fig. 8C View Fig ).

Surface of capitulum and stalk contains 6-, 7- and 8-radiate capstans ( Fig. 8D–E View Fig ); colony interior contains long, slender needles with a smooth median part and spiny trihedral ends. The interior needles, up to 0.6 mm long ( Fig. 8F View Fig ), have a smooth cylindrical median part, but trihedral ends. Each ridge at the needle end bears spines or dents ( Fig. 8G View Fig ).

Colour

In alcohol-preserved material the capitulum of the colony is pale rose, the autozooids are bright rose, the stalk is brown-rose and the sclerites are red or rose.

Remarks

Heteropolypus roseus sp. nov. differs from all known species of the genus in the presence of the plates with a diagonal keel which are found in its autozooid tentacles ( Table 1 View Table 1 ). Moreover, H. roseus sp. nov. also differs from H. insolitus , H. japonicus , H. ritteri , H. rylovi and H. steenstrupi in having the plates in the tentacles and pharynx. Heteropolypus ritteri also has sclerites with a diagonal ridge, but these are rods ( Table 1 View Table 1 ). Only H. sol contains short plates in the tentacles and platelets in the pharynx, but H. roseus sp. nov. differs from it by having no flanged rods and girdled spindles in the tentacles ( Table 1 View Table 1 ).