Umimayanthus Montenegro, Sinniger & Reimer, 2015

Low, Martyn E. Y., Sinniger, Frederic & Reimer, James Davis, 2016, The order Zoantharia Rafinesque, 1815 (Cnidaria, Anthozoa: Hexacorallia): supraspecific classification and nomenclature, ZooKeys 641, pp. 1-80 : 18

Umimayanthus Montenegro, Sinniger & Reimer, 2015

Umimayanthus Montenegro, Sinniger & Reimer, 2015: 76.

Type species.

Umimayanthus chanpuru Montenegro, Sinniger & Reimer, 2015, by original designation.

Gender.

Masculine.

Diagnosis.

“… can be distinguished from all zoantharians including Parazoanthus spp. by a highly conservative and unique insertion of 9 bp in length (from position 556 to 564 in alignment) and one deletion of 14 bp long (from position 574 to 587) in the mt 16S-rDNA region" ( Montenegro et al. 2015b: 76).

Remarks.

Specimens examined from this genus-grouping have a branchiform endodermal sphincter muscle ( Swain et al. 2015).

“… exclusively associated with sponges, usually encrusting and cushion sponges, occasionally with massive sponges. Polyps generally scattered over the sponge surface, but can form defined stoloniferous chains in lines, or form groups of two to three connected polyps. Polyps may be solitary or connected to each other by a stolon through a thin but clearly visible coenenchyme either over or under the sponge surface. Polyps with sand particles and detritus incrusted in column. Tentacles equal or longer than the expanded oral disc diameter." ( Montenegro et al. 2015b: 76).

This genus-group currently includes four described species; three in the Indo-Pacific and one in the Atlantic ( Montenegro et al. 2015b).