Symplectoscyphus ralphae Vervoort, 1993

Symplectoscyphus ralphae Vervoort, 1993: 270, figs 65E–F, 66A–C.

Symplectoscyphus ralphae – Galea 2016: 45, fig. 10M–V.

Material examined

PACIFIC OCEAN • male colony with stems up to 1.4 cm high, on axis of antipatharian; off New Caledonia, stn DW4714; 22°49′ S, 167°25′ E; 394–443 m; 18 Aug. 2016; KANACONO leg.; MNHN-IK-2015-395 • two female colonies, 2.6 and 3.7 cm high, respectively; off New Caledonia, stn DW4784; 22°51′ S, 167°44′ E; 310–322 m; 29 Aug. 2016; KANACONO leg.; MNHN-IK-2015-396 • a colony composed of several stems up to 1.4 cm high, one of them with a female gonotheca; off New Caledonia, stn DW4715; 22°50′ S, 167°27′ E; 424 m; 18 Aug. 2016; KANACONO leg.; MNHN-IK-2015-397 • a stem 2.5 cm high with male gonothecae; off New Caledonia, stn CP4675; 22°50′ S, 167°30′ E; 350– 366 m; 13 Aug. 2016; KANACONO leg.; used as a whole for DNA extraction, DNA 1392; MHNG-INVE- 120853 • male and female colonies with stems up to 4 cm high, on different substrates; off New Caledonia, stn CP4674; 22°48′ S, 167°29′ E; 311– 302 m; 13 Aug. 2016; KANACONO leg.; MNHN-IK-2015-398 • a profuse male colony, with stems up to 1.8 cm high; off New Caledonia, stn DW4720; 22°50′ S, 167°11′ E; 374–400 m; 19 Aug. 2016; KANACONO leg.; a fertile stem was used for DNA extraction, DNA 1391; voucher MHNG-INVE- 120852; barcode identifier MK 073105; MNHN-IK-2015-469 .

Remarks

In view of the present material, always fertile, it can be now stated that the gonothecae are sexually dimorphic, as suspected earlier by Galea (2016). Female gonothecae are longer and larger, and possess a larger number of transverse ridges, and a comparatively wider terminal funnel.

Distribution

New Caledonia (Vervoort 1993; present study), Norfolk Ridge (Galea 2016).