Stenocyathus vermiformis ( Pourtales , 1868)

Filander, Zoleka N., Kitahara, Marcelo V., Cairns, Stephen D., Sink, Kerry J. & Lombard, Amanda T., 2021, Azooxanthellate Scleractinia (Cnidaria, Anthozoa) from South Africa, ZooKeys 1066, pp. 1-198 : 1

Stenocyathus vermiformis ( Pourtales, 1868)

Fig. 14O, P

Coenocyathus vermiformis Pourtalès, 1868: 133-134.

Stenocyathus vermiformis . - Pourtalès 1871: 10, pl. 1, figs 1, 2, pl. 3, figs 11-13. - Pourtalès 1878: 202. - Pourtalès 1880: 96, 101 (in part), pl. 1, figs 15, 16. -Duncan 1883: 368. - Agassiz 1888: 148, fig. 483. -von Marenzeller 1904a: 298-300, pl. 18, fig. 16. -Gravier 1915: 2. - Gravier 1920: 30-32, pl. 3, figs 35-37, pl. 13, figs 193-197. -Gardiner and Waugh 1938: 172. -Wells 1947: 167, pl. 10, figs 1-5. - Wells 1958: 262. - Squires 1959a: 23. -Zibrowius 1969: 328. -Laborel 1970: 153. -Zibrowius 1971: 244. - Cairns 1977b: 5. - Cairns 1978: 11. - Cairns 1979: 168-170, pl. 32, figs 8-10, pl. 33, figs 1, 2. - Zibrowius 1980: 163-165, pl. 84, figs A-Q. - Cairns 1982: 52, pl. 16, figs 8-11. -Cairns 1984: 23, 25, pl. 5, fig. C. - Cairns et al. 1991: 48. -Cairns and Parker 1992: 43, fig. 14B, C. - Cairns and Keller 1993: 273, fig. 12E, F. -Cairns 1994: 69-70, pl. 22, fig. G, pl. 29, figs C, F. - Cairns 1995: 94-95, pl. 30, figs C-G. - Cairns et al. 1999: 33. - Cairns 2000: 151-153, fig. 178. -Cairns 2004a: 302. - Cairns 2006: 48. -Kitahara 2007: 504, 505, 511, 512, fig. 5F. - Cairns 2009: 22. - Kitahara et al. 2010b. - Kitahara and Cairns 2021: 559-561, figs 308D-F, 309.

Caryophyllia simplex Duncan, 1878: 237, pl. 43, figs 32-34.

Caryophyllia carpenteri Duncan, 1878: 237, pl. 43, figs 28-31.

Type locality.

Off Florida Keys, United States; 274-329 m ( Cairns 1979).

Type material.

Syntypes are deposited at the MCZ ( Cairns 1979).

Material examined.

SAM_H1699 (2 specimens): Eastern margin, 20 km from Cape Vidal / 23 km off St Lucia Estuary, 27°59'30.00"S, 32°40'47.99"E; 550 m. SAM_H3212 (1 specimen): Southern margin, 46 km from Port Alfred / 12 km off Mgwalana Estuary, 33°29'24.00"S, 27°21'11.99"E; 80 m. SAM_H3213 (2 specimens): Southern margin, 40 km from Cintsa / 29 km off Cwili Estuary, 32°54'59.99"S, 28°30'59.99"E; 630 m. SAM_H3214 (1 specimen): Southern margin, 32 km off Mazeppa Bay / 24 km off Kobole Estuary, 32°28'36.00"S, 28°58'48.00"E; 710- 775 m.

Description.

Corallum solitary, small, vermiform, usually free, but occasionally attached. Calice cylindrical to sub-cylindrical (GCD:LCD = 1.0-1.4), calicular margin smooth. Largest specimen examined (SAM_H1699) 4.5 × 4.4 mm in CD and 20.0 mm in H. Theca thin, marked with transverse ridges extending from calicular edge to base, and white spots aligned in 24 longitudinal rows. Costae absent. Corallum white with light brown theca.

Septa hexamerally arranged in three cycles according to the formula: S1 > S3 ≥ S2 (24 septa). S1 extend ¾ distance to columella. S2 half the width of S1, and bear a pali. S3 slightly wider or equal to S2. All septa have sinuous axial edges, and granules arranged perpendicular to septal margin. Pali also granular and sinuous. Columella fascicular in a shallow to moderately deep fossa.

Distribution.

Regional: Southern to eastern margins of South Africa, from off Cintsa extending to Cape Vidal; 80-775 m. Elsewhere: Walters Shoal; St Paul and Amsterdam Islands (von Marenzeller 1904a; Zibrowius 1974a; Cairns and Keller 1993); New Zealand ( Cairns 1995); Australia (Cairns 2004a); New Caledonia ( Kitahara and Cairns 2021); Mediterranean Sea ( Zibrowius 1980); from off the United States ( Pourtalès 1868; Cairns 1979) to Brazil (Kitahara 2007); and Antarctica ( Cairns 1982); 80-1500 m.

Remarks.

Specimens of S. vermiformis examined herein represent new records for the region, thus extending the previously known distribution from south of Madagascar towards South Africa. Furthermore, this is the only species of the family representative in the region and is distinctive in its small vermiform corallum, three septal cycles, and presence of thecal spots aligned in rows. Molecular evidence suggests that S. vermiformis groups with Caryophylliidae ( Kitahara et al. 2010b) and thereby supports the hypothesis that thecal pores originated independently in different scleractinian lineages (Stolarski 2000). Nonetheless, additional work on the placement of the other species representatives of the family needs to be undertaken.

Figures

Figure 14. A, B. Letepsammia formosissima (SAM _ H 1429, off Kidds Beach, 79 m) A calicular view B basal view C, D Letepsammia franki (SAMC _ A 090070, off Durban, 95 m) C calicular view D basal view E, F Rhombopsammia niphada (SAM _ H 1390, off Port Alfred, 90 m) E calicular view F basal view G, H Stephanophyllia fungulus (SAMC _ A 073106, Cape Vidal, 140 m) G calicular view H basal view I Madrepora oculata (SAM _ H 3038, off St Lucia, 825 m) full view J, L Culicia sp. cf. Culicia australiensis (SAMC _ A 073032, off Shaka's Rock, 50 m) J calicular view K full view L septa details M, N Culicia excavata. M (UCTES _ DBN 85 H, off Ispongo, depth unknown): full view N (BMNH 1840.09.30.19, Cape of Good Hope, depth unknown): Calicular view O, P Stenocyathus vermiformis (SAM _ H 3213, off Cintsa, 630 m) O calicular view P lateral view Scale bars: 10 mm (A-H, J-N); 100 mm (I); 2 mm (O, P).