Calyptrophora reedi, Cairns, Stephen D., 2018

Cairns, Stephen D., 2018, Deep-Water Octocorals (Cnidaria, Anthozoa) from the Galapagos and Cocos Islands. Part 1: Suborder Calcaxonia, ZooKeys 729, pp. 1-46 : 11-12

Calyptrophora reedi sp. n. Figures 2d, 8

Material examined.

Types. Holotype: colony and SEM stubs 2334-2337, JSL-I-3930, USNM 1409027. Paratype: JSL-I-1922, 1 denuded colony with many detached polyps, USNM 1409028; NautilusNA-064-126-01-A, 1 branch, CDRS.

Type locality.

JSL-I-3930: 0°29.755'S, 90°13.98'W (northeast coast of Santa Cruz, Galápagos), 450 m depth.

Distribution.

Galápagos: off Santa Cruz, Santiago, and Marchena, 445-509 m depth.

Description.

The colony is uniplanar, equally and sparsely dichotomously branched, some end branches up to 12 cm in length. The holotype (Figure 2d) is only 6.6 cm in height, whereas the paratype from JSL-I-1922 is larger (20 cm) but poorly preserved. Polyps are directed downward, and occur in whorls of four to six (Figure 8a), the whorl diameter measuring 4.0-5.5 mm; the whorls are closely spaced, about four polyps occurring per cm branch length. The horizontal length of a polyp is 2.2-2.4 mm. The axis is dark brown to bronze color.

The fused basal scale (Figures 8a, d, e) stands at roughly a 45° angle to the branch, and is 2.0-2.3 mm in height, including its distal spines. The distal spines (Figure 8d, f,) are flattened, with a broad base 0.30-0.35 mm in width, and extend 0.45-0.55 mm above the articulating ridge. Both inner and outer surfaces of the basal spines are covered with 6-11 thin, parallel spinose ridges. The straight articulating ridge is well defined (Figure 8d, f, g) and 0.70-0.75 mm in length. The outer surface of both basal and buccal scales is covered homogeneously with small but sharp spines. The fused buccal scale (Figure 8c, h) is 1.5-1.9 mm in length and slopes downward toward the branch surface, making the articular ridge and basal spines by far the highest point of the polyp. The distal edge of the buccal scale is smooth and usually bilobate, although the distal edges of some polyps are produced into two blunt teeth up to 0.3 mm in height (Figure 8h, lower figure); the buccal distal edge forms a cowl (Figure 8b) that completely enveloped the operculum. A low mid-dorsal (sagittal) ridge (Figure 8i) is often seen as a remnant of the dorsal fusion of the two young buccal scales. The abaxial opercular scale (Fig. 8j, upper right) is almost elliptical in shape, up to 0.62 mm in height, and has a L:W as low as 1.15. The adaxial opercular (Figure 8j, lower left) is much smaller (0.35-0.45 mm in length) and triangular, having a L:W of about 1.7. The lateral operculars are asymmetrical, each having a lateral shoulder on their adaxial side. They range from 0.58-0.69 mm in height and have a L:W of 1.4-1.7. All opercular scales are quite thin and delicate, their outer surface covered with small spines often aligned as low ridges distally; their inner surface is tuberculate and not keeled (Figure 8j). The coenenchymal scales (Figure 8l) are straight, thick, and elongate, up to 1.1 mm in length and about 0.12 mm in width, with a L:W up to 10. They bear surface ornamentation like that of the body wall scales. Four thick, elongate coenenchymal scales (Figure 8k) surround the base of each polyp, each up to 1.2 mm in length with a L:W up to 6, and slightly curved to conform to the curvature of the polyp attachment of the branch, thus functioning as infrabasals.

Comparisons.

Only four species in the genus have downward oriented polyps, the so called wyvillei-complex sensu Bayer (2001), C. reedi being very similar to C. agassizii , also known from the Galápagos. Calyptrophora reedi differs from that species primarily in the shape of its basal scales, which are not as long as those of C. agassizii , have a broader base, and a non-pointed (flat) tip.

Etymology.

Named in honor of John Reed (HBOI), who participated in the JSL-I Galápagos expedition of 1986, during which this species was collected.