Verrucella cf. reticulata ( Thomson & Simpson, 1909 )

Namin, Samimi & Ofwegen, Van, 2009, Some shallow water octocorals (Coelenterata: Anthozoa) of the Persian Gulf, Zootaxa 2058, pp. 1-52 : 47

Verrucella cf. reticulata ( Thomson & Simpson, 1909)

( Figs. 31 b, 34)

Nicella reticulata Thomson & Simpson, 1909: 266 .

Material: RMNH Coel. 38793, part of colony, Strait of Hormuz, Qeshm Island, 18 May 2006; a fragment has been deposited in the Persian Gulf Biotechnology Research Center.

Description. The colony fragment is a 10 by 13.5 cm wide network ( Fig. 31 b). Thickest branches are 3 mm in diameter, most are only 1–1.5 mm. Calyces are dome-shaped and situated all around the branches.

Sclerites are mostly double heads, but several longer ones are spindle-like; length of these sclerites is 0.04–0.08 mm ( Fig. 34 a). The polyps have small spindles, 0.04–0.07 mm long ( Fig. 34 b), and the pharynx has double stars, about 0.04 mm long ( Fig. 34 c).

Colour. Colony is orange-red, coenenchymal sclerites are pink, polyp ones colourless.

Remarks. Thomson & Simpson (1909) described Nicella reticulata using “over a dozen specimens” from the Persian Gulf and the Laccadives. From their description it is obvious they had a species of Verrucella instead of Nicella . They mentioned that the colonies formed networks and described a peculiarly coloured colony with the lower part of the colony red gradually merging to a grey upper part. Other colonies were described as mixed grey-red while one colony from the Laccadives was totally red. They described and schematically depicted the sclerites as double heads and spindles, 0.04–0.09 mm in length.

The present material is in agreement with the description of N. reticulata , if we assume to have a red part of a mixed coloured colony or a completely red specimen, as the one from the Laccadives mentioned by Thomson & Simpson. However, because of the rather poor description and images it is impossible to get certainty about the correct identification without comparison with the type material. This type material is stored in the Calcutta museum and unavailable for study, hence we here identified the species as V. cf. reticulata .

Figures

FIGURE 34. RMNH Coel. 38793, Verrucella cf. reticulata (Thomson & Simpson, 1909): a, double heads and spindles of coenenchyme; b, polyp spindles; c, pharyngeal double stars.

FIGURE 31. a, RMNH Coel. 38785, Trimuricea aff. reticulata (Thomson & Simpson, 1909): b, RMNH Coel. 38793, Verrucella cf. reticulata (Thomson & Simpson, 1909). Scales 1 cm.