Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Responsive image
Issue: Vol. 1400 No. 1: 29 Jan. 2007
Type: Articles
Published: 2007-01-29
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.1400.1.2
Page range: 27–44
Abstract views: 39
PDF downloaded: 1

Pinnule-less polyps: a new genus and new species of Indo-Pacific Clavulariidae and validation of the soft coral genus Acrossota and the family Acrossotidae (Coelenterata: Octocorallia)  

Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, GPO Box 4646, Darwin, Northern Territory, 0801, Australia.
Department of Biology, Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, CA 91711-5990, USA.
Cnidaria Octocorallia Clavulariidae Acrossotidae Clavularia amboinensis Knopia new genus new species Indonesia

Abstract

Clavularia amboinensis Burchardt, a species described as possessing simple, pinnule-less tentacles (a fact refuted by later authors) is confirmed to be as described and is transferred as a new combination to Acrossota Bourne — a genus dismissed until now by a number of authors. The species is compared to recently collected material with live photographs. A second new genus and species, Knopia octocontacanalis, is also described. This taxon resembles Acrossota in general form, but has tentacles where the pinnules appear as though they are fused side to side along the tentacles’ lateral margins. Preliminary phylogenetic analyses of two mitochondrial genes support placement of Knopia in Clavulariidae and retention of genus Acrossota in Bourne’s unrecognised family Acrossotidae.

References

  1. Alderslade, P. (2000) Four new genera of soft corals (Coelenterata: Octocorallia), with notes on the classification of some established taxa. Zoologische Mededelingen, Leiden 74, 237–249.

    Alderslade, P. (2001) Six new genera and six new species of soft coral, and some proposed familial and subfamilial changes within the Alcyonacea (Coelenterata: Octocorallia). Bulletin of the Biological Society of Washington, 10, 15–65.

    Allen, G.R. & Steene, R. (1994) Indo-Pacific Coral Reef field Guide. Tropical Reef Research, Singapore, i-vi + 1–378.

    Bourne, G.C. (1914) On Acrossota liposclera, a new genus and species of alcyonarian with simple tentacles. Quarterly Journal of Microscopical Science, n.s., 60, 261–272, pl. 22.

    Burchardt, E. (1902) Alcyonaceen von Thursday Island (Torres-Strasse) und von Amboina, II. Jenaische Denkchriften fur Medizinsch-naturwessen-schaftliche Gessellschaft zu Jena, 8, 655–682, pls 54–57.

    Erhardt, H. & Knop, D. (2005) Corals: Indo-Pacific Field Guide. IKAN – Unterwasserarchiv, Frankfurt, 305 pp.

    Fabricius, K. & Alderslade, P. (2001) Soft Corals and Sea Fans: A comprehensive guide to the tropical shallow water genera of the Central West Pacific, the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, 264 pp.

    Fosså, S.A. & Nilsen, A.J. (1998) The Modern Coral Reef Aquarium, 2, Birgit Schmettkamp Verlag, Bornheim, 480 pp.

    Gohar, H.A.F. (1940) A revision of some genera of the Stolonifera. Publications of the Marine Biological Station Ghardaqa (Red Sea), 3, 1–23.

    Gohar, H.A.F. (1948) A description and some biological studies of a new alcyonarian species “Clavularia hamra Gohar”. Publications of the Marine Biological Station Ghardaqa (Red Sea), 6, 1–33

    Hickson, S. (1894) A revision of the genera of the Alcyonaria Stolonifera, with a description of one new genus and several new species. Transactions of the Zoological Society of London, 13(9), 325–347, pls 45–50.

    Kuekenthal, W. (1906) Alcyonacea. Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse der Deutschen Tieffsee-Expedition auf dem “Valdivia” 1898–1899, 43, 1, 1–111, pls 1–12.

    McFadden, C.S., Alderslade, P.A., Ofwegen, L.P. van, Johnsen, H. & Rusmevichientong, A. (2006a) Phylogenetic relationships within the tropical soft coral genera Sarcophyton and Lobophytum (Anthozoa, Octocorallia). Invertebrate Biology, 125(4), 288–305.

    McFadden, C.S., France, S.C., Sánchez, J.A. & Alderslade, P.A. (2006b) A molecular phylogenetic analysis of the Octocorallia (Cnidaria: Anthozoa) based on mitochondrial protein-coding sequences (ND2, msh1). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 41, 513–527.

    Molander, A.R. (1921) Alcyonarien von Madagaskar. Arkiv För Zoologi 14(2), 1–13.

    Roule, L. (1908) Alcyonaires d’Amboine. Revue Suisse de Zoologie16, 161-194, pls. 6-8.

    Roxas, H.A. (1933) Philippine Alcyonaria: the families Cornulariidae and Xeniidae. The Philippine Journal of Science 50(1): 49–108.

    Thomson, J.A. & Dean, L. (1931) The Alcyonacea of the Siboga Expedition with an addendum to the Gorgonacea. Siboga Expedite 13d, 1–227, pls 1–28.

    Utinomi, H. (1951) Asterospicularia laurae, n. gen. et n. sp., the type of a new family of alcyonarians with stellate spicules. Pacific Science, 5, 2, 190–196.

    Sprung, J. (1999) Corals: A Quick Reference Guide. Ricordea Publishing, Inc., Florida, 240 pp.

    Sprung. J. & Delbeek, J.C. (1997) The Reef Aquarium: A Comprehensive Guide to the Identification and Care of Tropical Marine Invertebrates, 2, Ricordea Publishing, Inc., Florida, i-xiv + 1–546 pp.

    Veron, J.E.N. (1986) Corals of Australia and the Indo-Pacific. Angus & Robertson, Sydney, i-xii + 1–644.