Kotatea, Kessel & Alderslade & Bilewitch & Schnabel & Norman & Potts & Gardner, 2022

Kessel, Gustav M., Alderslade, Philip, Bilewitch, Jaret P., Schnabel, Kareen E., Norman, Jerry, Potts, Romana Tekaharoa & Gardner, Jonathan P. A., 2022, Dead man’s fingers point to new taxa: two new genera of New Zealand soft corals (Anthozoa, Octocorallia) and a revision of Alcyonium aurantiacum Quoy & Gaimard, 1833, European Journal of Taxonomy 837, pp. 1-85 : 65-66

Morphological key to species of Kotatea gen. nov. and Ushanaia gen. nov.

1. Colonies erect and lobate in growth form with clubs abundant in polyp mounds, surface sclerites differ from interior sclerites markedly............................................................... 2 ( Kotatea gen. nov.)

– Colonies encrusting and/or clubs absent from polyp mounds; surface and interior sclerites do not differ in form................................................................................................... 9 ( Ushanaia gen. nov.)

2. Colonies distinctly spotted in appearance with thick lobes; large and robust, highly sculptured spheroids present in surface and interior sections; highly branched interior spindles absent ........... 3

– Colonies not distinctly spotted in appearance; highly sculptured spheroids absent.......................... 4

3. Large polyps measure ~ 1.3 mm when expanded; interior sclerites not distinctly double-headed ...... ................................................................................................. K. kurakootingotingo gen. et sp. nov.

– Large polyps measure only ~ 0.75 mm when expanded; interior sclerites often distinctly doubleheaded ............................................................................................................ K. niwa gen. et sp. nov.

4. Collaret and point sclerites coloured orange (when preserved)................ K. raekura gen. et sp. nov.

– Collaret and point sclerites colourless (when preserved) .................................................................. 5

5. Colonies white (when preserved) ...................................................................................................... 6

– Colonies distinctly coloured yellowish or orange (when preserved), ranging from pale to dark shades................................................................................................................................................. 7

6. Colonies laterally compressed; interior sclerites abundant and composed predominately of radiates with few, thin, thorny branching processes.......................................... K. kapotaiora gen. et sp. nov.

– Colonies not laterally compressed; interior sclerites very scarce............ K. teorowai gen. et sp. nov.

7. Sclerites in lobe interior very large (up to ~ 0.35 mm long), antler-like, and highly branched ........... ..................................................................................................................... K. lobata gen. et sp. nov.

– Sclerites in lobe interior are not as in 7A........................................................................................... 8

8. Colonies yellowish orange (when preserved); clubs in points large (> 0.1 mm long) and abundant; collarets composed of ~6–10 rows of spindles................................ K. amicispongia gen. et sp. nov.

– Colonies orange, not yellowish (when preserved); clubs in points small (<0.1 mm long) and scarce; collarets composed of ~5–7 rows of spindles................................. K. aurantiaca gen. et comb. nov.

9. Large polyps measure only up to ~ 1 mm when expanded; collaret and point sclerites often distinctly flattened, collarets generally composed of seven or fewer rows of spindles....................................... ..................................................................................................................... U. solida gen. et sp. nov.

– Large polyps measure up to ~ 2 mm when expanded; distinctly flattened collaret and point sclerites absent, collarets generally composed of more than seven rows of spindles.................................... 10

10. Colonies never distinctly red (when preserved); well-developed point clubs absent.......................... .............................................................................................................. U. ferruginea gen. et sp. nov.

– Colonies may be distinctly red (when preserved); well-developed point clubs present...................... ................................................................................................................... U. fervens gen. et sp. nov.