Paracyathus pulchellus ( Philippi, 1842 )

Reyes, Javier, Santodomingo, Nadiezhda & Cairns, Stephen, 2009, Caryophylliidae (Scleractinia) from the Colombian Caribbean, Zootaxa 2262 (1), pp. 1-39 : 11

Paracyathus pulchellus ( Philippi, 1842)

Figs. 2R–S

Cyathina pulchellus Philippi, 1842: 42 .

Paracyathus defilippi Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1860: 60 , pl. 9, figs. 2–3.— Cerame-Vivas & Gray, 1966: 263 (listed).— Avent, King & Gore, 1977: 200, fig. 111.— Castañares & Soto, 1982: Table 1 (listed).

Paracyathus confertus Pourtalès, 1868:134 .

Paracyathus pulchellus Cairns, 1979: 88–89 , pl. 16, figs. 1–4, 6, Map 20 (synonymy of western Atlantic records and description).— Zibrowius, 1980: 90–93, pl. 44, figs. A–K, pl.45, figs. A–L (synonymy of eastern Atlantic records and description).— Rezak et al., 1985: 225 (listed: stn 113, Coffe Lump; stn 115,128, Geyer Bank; stn 118, Diaphus Bank; stn, Sidner Bank; stn 122, Alderice Bank).—Not Hubbard &Wells, 1986: 133 (= Polycyathus senegalensis ).— Prahl & Erhardt, 1989: 545.— Cairns et al., 1991: 47.— Fenner, 1993a: 12, 14 (listed).— Cairns et al. 1994: 4 (listed).— Cairns, 2000: 81–83, figs. 89–91.—Lattig, 2000: 123–124, fig. 65.— Reyes et al., 2005: 324 (listed).— Kitahara, 2007: 502–503, fig. 3D.— Santodomingo et al., 2007: 286 (listed).

Remarks: Colombian specimens fit in the species diagnosis presented by Cairns (1979; 2000) and Zibrowius (1980). P. pulchellus were common on coralline hardgrounds and debris accumulation, but rare below 200 m depth. Colombian specimens were found settled on sponges, other scleractinian skeletons such as Cladocora debilis , Madracis myriaster , Oxysmilia rotundifolia and Eguchipsammia sp. , or over dead P. pulchellus skeletons.

Distribution: Amphi-atlantic distribution. Tropical western Atlantic, from 34º37'N to 0º18'N, between 17 and 838 m depth ( Cairns 2000). Eastern Atlantic, from Portugal to Guinea Gulf, including the Mediterranean Sea and the Azores, from 40 to 1260 m depth ( Zibrowius 1980). In Colombia, P. pulchellus is known from Honda Bay (La Guajira) to off the Gulf of Morrosquillo, between 50 and 269 m depth.

Material: INV CNI310 , 1 specimen , P392; INV CNI380 , 1 specimen , E67; INV CNI798 , 1 specimen , E156; INV CNI799 , 1 specimen , E98; INV CNI800 , 3 specimens , E155; INV CNI801 , 3 specimens , E155; INV CNI802 , 2 specimens , E104; INV CNI803 , 11 specimens , E104; INV CNI804 , 1 specimen , E105; INV CNI805 , 4 specimens , E103; INV CNI806 , 43 specimens , E102; INV CNI807 , 26 specimens , E102; INV CNI2166 , 2 specimens , E215; INV CNI2304 , 4 specimens , E234; INV CNI2305 , 38 specimens , E240; INV CNI2306 , 1 specimen , E242; INV CNI2383 , 1 specimen , D33; INV CNI2401 , 1 specimen , C1; INV CNI2410 , 3 specimens , C4; INV CNI2432 , 1 specimen , D34; INV CNI2468 , 1 specimen , E246; INV CNI2470 , 1 specimen , E246; INV CNI2512 , 5 specimens , D3; INV CNI2529 , 5 specimens , D12; INV CNI2565 , 30 specimens , D15; INV CNI2578 , 32 specimens , D17; INV CNI2686 , indeterminate specimens number) D20; INV CNI2712 , 121 specimens , D37; INV CNI2723 , 2 specimens , D19; INV CNI2740 , 37 specimens , D38; INV CNI2755 , 44 specimens , D16; INV CNI2768 , 43 specimens , D21; INV CNI2777 , 29 specimens , D33; INV CNI2794 , 3 specimens , D67; INV CNI2801 , 1 specimen , D75; INV CNI2805 , 5 specimens , D22; INV CNI2815 , 10 specimens , D69; INV CNI2823 , 6 specimens , D74; INV CNI2830 , 2 specimens , D34; INV CNI2841 , 2 specimens , D15; INV CNI2853 , 1 specimen , D18; INV CNI2887 , 1 specimen , D76; INV CNI2912 , 15 specimens , C3; USNM 80890 , 3 specimens , SMR2.

Figures

FIGURE 2. A–B, Caryophyllia berteriana, INV CNI2553, off San Bernardo Islands, calicular and lateral views, both x 1.5; C, Caryophyllia crypta, USNM 99187, Santa Marta, paratype, x 4; D–E, Caryophyllia barbadensis, INV CNI669, off San Bernardo Islands, calicular and lateral views, both x 10; F–G, Caryophyllia ambrosia caribbeana, INV CNI364, off La Rada inlet, calicular and lateral views, both x 1.6; H–I, Coenocyathus parvulus, INV CNI671, off San Bernardo Islands, calicular and lateral views, both x 10; J–K, Trochocyathus rawsonii, INV CNI681, off Gulf of Morrosquillo, calicular and lateral views, both x 3.2; L–M, Trochocyathus sp. cf. T. fasciatus, INV CNI379, off Santa Marta, calicular and lateral views, both x 4.6; N, Tethocyathus prahli, INV CNI905, off La Guajira (Punta Gallinas), calicular view x 2.7; O, T. prahli, INV CNI1514, off Chocó, Pacific Ocean, calicular view x 2.7; P–Q, Tethocyathus variabilis, INV CNI2404, off San Bernardo Islands, calicular and lateral views, both x 4; R–S, Paracyathus pulchellus, INV CNI2305, off La Guajira, calicular and lateral views, both x 4.4; T–U, Polycyathus senegalensis, INV CNI809, off La Guajira, calicular view and colony, both x 2.7; V, Cladocora debilis, INV CNI877, off Palomino, colony fragment showing typical branching pattern, x 0.8. Scale bars for A–B, F–G,V = 1 cm;C, J–U = 5 mm; D–E, H–I = 1 mm.