Bebryce sirene Grasshoff, 1999

Bebryce sirene Grasshoff, 1999: 64, figs. 109–111 (New Caledonia); Bayer & van Ofwegen 2016: 346.

Opinion: There is not enough evidence that this species occurs in the region.

Justification:

These Indian records seem to be either invalid or unconfirmable: Kumar et al. 2014a: 70, pl. 32, fig. A–E (Munak Gate, Nicobar); Fernando et al. 2017: 85, pl. 37, fig. A–E (Munak Gate, Nicobar)

Literature analysis: The descriptions given by Kumar et al. (2014a) and Fernando et al. (2017) are identical, but it is impossible to know the true characteristics of their specimen because the description of the sclerites and their occurrence is taken word-for-word from Grasshoff’ (1999). However, it is obvious from the illustrations that their specimen belongs in the genus Acanthogorgia . Their sclerite figure shows some of the colourless sclerites from their specimen, but have also included two red sclerites that are probably from an Echinogorgia . Kumar et al. (2015, 2018) just lists the species and present the same colony figure from the 2014 and 2017 publications above.