Verrucella cerasina Grasshoff, 1999

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 : 98

Verrucella cerasina Grasshoff, 1999

Verrucella cerasina Grasshoff, 1999: 82 , fig. 137; pl. 10, fig. 2 ( New Caledonia).

Opinion: There is no evidence that this species occurs in the region.

Justification:

These Indian records seem to be either invalid or unconfirmable: Kumar et al. 2014a: 34, pl. 14, fig. A–D (Andaman Is.); Fernando et al. 2017: 260, pl. 121, fig. A–D (Andaman Is.).

Literature analysis: The publications of Kumar et al. (2014a) and Fernando et al. (2017) present identical accounts, but it is not possible to assess all the true characters of the material because the text describing the sclerites is taken word-for-word from Grasshoff’s paper, even the dimensions. The copied statements “the polyps are little elevated and scattered” and “double heads with the girdle free of tubercles weakly developed” do not match their illustrations of a branch segment and of the sclerites. This species is probably endemic to New Caledonia. Kumar et al. (2015) just lists the species and illustrate the colony from the 2014 paper above, while Kumar et al. (2018a) just lists the species.