Quattuoria pallida Benayahu & McFadden, 2022

Benayahu, Yehuda, Ekins, Merrick, Van Ofwegen, Leen P., Samimi-Namin, Kaveh & Mcfadden, Catherine S., 2022, On some encrusting Xeniidae (Octocorallia): Re-examination of the type material of Sansibia flava (May, 1898) and a description of new taxa, Zootaxa 5093 (4), pp. 421-444 : 437-438

Quattuoria pallida Benayahu & McFadden gen. nov. sp. nov.

Figures 1 , 16–17

http://zoobank/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:434D2C4A-B44C-4B17-9B7A-60778ECEB808

Material examined. Madagascar. Holotype. SMNHTAU_ Co _36071 ( MAD95 ), 4 Frére (12.994250° S, 48.487467° E), 4–15 m, 1 December 2012, coll. Y. Benayahu.

Description. The holotype is an encrusting colony featuring a thin, irregular spreading membrane (<1 mm) growing on dead coral skeleton and measuring approximately 10 x 18 mm ( Fig. 16A ). Some smaller detached fragments of a few polyps each are also included in the holotype.All polyps are fully expanded ( Fig. 16B ): the polyp body is 4–5 mm long and the tentacles up to 3–4 mm. When the tentacles are viewed from the aboral side 18–25 pinnules can be counted on either margin of the tentacle, with almost no space between adjacent ones. When viewed from the oral side, numerous densely placed pinnules occupy almost the entire oral side of the tentacle, notably not arranged in rows.

The sclerites are spheroid or ellipsoid platelets ( Fig. 17A ) measuring 0.012 –0.018 x 0.015 –0.020 mm in diameter, abundant throughout the colony. A few sclerites feature surface irregularity. They are composed of calcite rods whose tips provide a granular appearance to the sclerite surface ( Fig. 17B ). The sclerites often tend to fracture during the dehydration necessary for SEM.

Color. The ethanol-preserved holotype is light cream, almost white.

Etymology. The species name is derived from the Latin pallida , referring to the pale color of the holotype.

Remarks. Q. pallida is characterized by its pinnule arrangement which lacks the organization in rows that is typical of other xeniid taxa. The ethanol-preserved holotype was sequenced and subsequently assigned to MOTU71. Unfortunately, no image of a live colony is available. Distribution. Madagascar ( Fig. 1 ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Distribution map of the material examined in the current study. Color shades on the background represent different marine realms. TA = Tropical Atlantic, TSAM = Temperate Southern America, TSA = Temperate Southern Africa, WI-P = Western Indo-Pacific, CI-P = Central Indo-Pacific, and TAA = Temperate Australasia.

FIGURE 16. Quattuoria pallida gen. nov. sp. nov. Holotype (SMNHTAU_Co_36071): (A) Encrusting colony attached to a calcareous fragment. (B) Magnified portion of holotype showing expanded polyps.

FIGURE 17. Scanning electron micrographs of sclerites of Quattuoria pallida gen. nov. sp. nov. Holotype (SMNHTAU_Co_ 36071): (A) Ellipsoid platelets, a few with surface irregularity. (B) Tips of calcite rods provide a uniform grainy appearance to the sclerite surface.