Verrucella pinnata Fernando, 2011

Ramvilas, Ghosh, Alderslade, Philip & Ranjeet, Kutty, 2023, The taxonomy of Indian gorgonians: an assessment of the descriptive records of gorgonians (Anthozoa: Octocorallia: Alcyonacea) recorded as occurring in the territorial waters of India, along with neighbouring regions and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and the highlighting of perceived unethical practice, Zootaxa 5236 (1), pp. 1-124 : 103

Verrucella pinnata Fernando, 2011 (species status uncertain)

Verrucella pinnata Fernando, 2011: 120–121 , pl. 81, fig. 1–1d (Nagapatinam); Fernando et al. 2017: 278, pl. 130, fig. 1–1d (Nagapatinam).

Opinion: This species does occur in the region but its status is uncertain and it is probably the same as some of the other Verrucella species described by Fernando (2011) and Fernando et al. (2017).

Justification:

These Indian records appear to represent identical species: Fernando et al., 2017: 266, pl. 124, fig. 1–1d (SE coast); Fernando, 2011: 119–120, pl. 79, fig. 1–1d (between Puducherry and Cuddalore); Fernando et al. 2017: 272, pl. 127, fig. 1–1d (between Puducherry and Cuddalore).

Literature analysis: The descriptions of the Indian material by Fernando (2011) and Fernando et al. (2017) are identical, but without more detailed descriptions and larger illustrations of the sclerites it would be difficult to recognise their species, and without a revision of the genus it would probably be impossible to assess its status. The specimen used by these authors has a bilateral polyp distribution, and on the data available, and allowing for some slight differences in sclerite dimensions (where they are known) it is not possible to distinguish this taxon from the those described by these authors as Verrucella dichromata Fernando, 2017 and Verrucella ixoboloides Fernando, 2011 , and the material they assigned to Verrucella diadema Grasshoff, 1999 , and they may all be the same as some of the material used for their description of Verrucella umbraculum ( Ellis & Solander, 1786) .