Coralliidae

Tu, Tzu-Hsuan, Dai, Chang-Feng & Jeng, Ming-Shiou, 2012, Precious corals (Octocorallia: Coralliidae) from the northern West Pacific region with descriptions of two New Species, Zootaxa 3395, pp. 1-17 : 4-5

Key to species of Coralliidae in northern West Pacific

1. Autozooids seated in deep axial pits with a prominently beaded margin.............................. Paracorallium ... 2

- Autozooids not seated in deep axial pits with a prominently beaded margin.............................. Corallium ... 4

2. Double clubs present............................................................. P. inutile Kishinouye ( Fig. 1 )

- Double clubs absent................................................................................... 3

3. Autozooids occurring all around stems and branches; axis pink.......................... P. tortuosum (see Bayer 1993)

- Autozooids more or less strictly arranged on one side of colony; axis red.......................... P. japonicum ( Fig. 2 )

4. Autozooids retractile within short, hemispherical or cylindrical cortical mounds; long spindles in tentacles absent......... 5

- Autozooids non-retractile forming prominent cylinders when contracted; long spindles in tentacles present.............. 12

5. Cortical mounds distributed predominantly on one side of the colony............................................. 6

- Cortical mounds distributed on all sides of the colony or arranged biserially...................................... 11

6. Cortical mounds evenly distributed on one side of the colony................................................... 7

- Cortical mounds clustered in groups on one side of the colony.................................................. 8

7. Slender, prickle-like twigs on front surface absent; 6-radiates abundant; axis orange.................... C. elatius ( Fig. 3 )

- Slender, prickle-like twigs on front surface present; 6-radiates rare; axis pale-pink to white........... C. secundum ( Fig. 4 )

8. Octoradiates not present or rare.......................................................................... 9

- Octoradiates most abundant............................................................................ 10

9. Cortical mounds short and cylindrical; cortex with fine granular surface; 8-radiates present; axis orange............................................................................................ C. carusrubrum n. sp. ( Figs. 5 , 6 )

- Cortical mounds hemispherical; cortex smooth; end twigs thick; 8-radiates absent; axis milky-white with pinkish center........................................................................................... C. konojoi ( Fig. 7 )

10. Six-radiates present and common; cortex not papillate; axis white................................. C. niveum ( Fig. 8 )

- Six-radiates absent; cortex papillate; axis orangish to yellowish-orange..... C. pusillum (see Kishinouye 1904; plate V, 3–4)

11. Cortical mounds distributed on all sides of the colony, which is branched on all sides; smooth double heads predominant.............................................................................................. C. borneense

- Cortical mounds raised and arranged biserially; colony branched in one plane; smooth double heads absent... C. kishinouyei

12. Double clubs present.................................................................................. 13

- Double clubs absent.................................................................... C. laauense ( Fig. 9 )

13. Heads of double clubs smooth with weak protuberances....................................... C. abyssale ( Fig. 10 )

- Heads of double clubs rough with obvious protuberances..................................................... 14

14. Autozooids arranged biserially; oval shape 8-radiates absent; cortex not covered by irregular creases.................. 15

- Autozooids distributed in the front side and not arranged biserally; oval shape 8-radiates present; cortex thin and covered by irregular creases.......................................................... C. taiwanicum sp. nov. ( Figs. 11 , 12 )

15. Crosses and irregular radiates present; spheroidal 6-radiates absent............................................. 16

- Crosses and irregular sclerites absent;, spheroidal 6-radiates present............................... C. regale ( Fig. 13 )

16. Main branches laterally compressed; terminal twigs sharply pointed; colony color yellow, axis milk white............................................................................ C. boshuensis (see Kishinouye 1904; plate III, 3–4)

- Branched in one plane, tiny branchelets on the frontal side and some of them anastomose with each other; colony color red or pink, axis pink with white center........................................................ C. sulcatum ( Figs. 14 )

Figures

FIGURE 1. Paracorallium inutile (Kishinouye, 1903), ASIZ 0000964: (A) fragment of the colony, arrows indicate parazoanthids; (B) close-up view of autozooids; (C) sclerites from cortical mounds and autozooids.

FIGURE 2. Paracorallium japonicum (Kishinouye, 1903), ASIZ 0000965: (A) fragment of the colony; (B) deep autozooid pits without beaded margins; (C) sclerites from cortical mounds and autozooids.

FIGURE 3. Corallium cf. elatius (Ridley, 1882), ASIZ 0000962. (A) left, “ front ” of colony, right, “ back ” of colony with white arrows indicating the openings of solenial canals; (B) close-up view of cortical mounds and papillae, with white arrow indicating a siphonozooid, black arrow indicating a papillae; (C) sclerites from cortical mounds and autozooids.

FIGURE 4. Corallium secundum (Dana, 1846), USNM 1010758: (A) left, “ front ” of colony, right, “ back ” of colony; (B) sclerites from cortical mounds and autozooids.

FIGURE 5. Corallium carusrubrum n. sp. holotype, ASIZ 0000960: (A) “ front ” of colony; (B) close-up of cortical mounds; (C) “ back ” of colony; (D) SEM image of cortex—the pore is the opening of a solenial canal.

FIGURE 6. Corallium carusrubrum n. sp. holotype, ASIZ 0000960: (A) cortical sclerites from the “ front ”; (B) cortical sclerites from the “ back ”; (C) sclerites from cortical mounds and autozooids.

FIGURE 7. Corallium konojoi Kishinouye, 1903, ASIZ 0000963: (A) “ front ” of colony and close-up of cortical mounds and autozooids, with arrows indicating siphonozooids; (B) ” back ” of colony, with arrows indicating the opening of solenial canals; (C) sclerites from cortical mounds and autozooids.

FIGURE 8. Corallium niveum Bayer, 1956, holotype, USNM 49328: (A) “ front ” of colony; (B) close-up of cortical mounds (C) “ back ” of colony; (D) sclerites from cortical mounds and autozooids.

FIGURE 9. Corallium laauense Bayer, 1956, holotype, USNM 49327: sclerites from autozooids. (Images by F. M. Bayer through the courtesy of Stephen Cairns)

FIGURE 10. Corallium abyssale Bayer, 1956, holotype, USNM 49326: sclerites from autozooids.

FIGURE 11. Corallium taiwanicum n. sp. holotype, NMNS- 6606 - 001: (A) “ front ” and “ back ” of colony; (B) SEM image of autozooid body and tentacles; (C) SEM image of autozooids, with arrows indicating openings of solenial canals.

FIGURE 12. Corallium taiwanicum n. sp. holotype, NMNS- 6606 - 001: (A) cortical sclerites from “ front ”; (B) cortical sclerites from “ back ”; (C) sclerites from autozooid body; (D) tentacle sclerites.

FIGURE 13. Corallium regale Bayer, 1956, holotype, USNM 49520: cortical sclerites.

FIGURE 14. Corallium sulcatum Kishinouye, 1903, ASIZ 0000966: (A) left, “ front ” of colony, right, “ back ” of colony; (B) close up of axis; (C) close up of autozooids; (D) SEM image of axis surface; (E) sclerites from cortex; (F) sclerites from autozooids.