Balanophyllia (Balanophyllia) diffusa Harrison & Poole, 1909

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

Balanophyllia (Balanophyllia) diffusa Harrison & Poole, 1909

Fig. 8A, B

Balanophyllia diffusa Harrison & Poole, 1909a: 906, pl. 85, fig. 4A, B. - Gardiner and Waugh 1939: 239-240. - Cairns and Keller 1993: 275, fig. 13 A-D.

Balanophyllia (Balanophyllia) diffusa . - Cairns 2001: 16.

Type locality.

Off Mergui Archipelago, Myanmar; 5-37 m (Harrison and Poole 1909).

Type material.

Unknown.

Material examined.

USNM 91780 (1 specimen): Eastern margin, 27 km south of Ponta Do Ouro / 18 km off Kosi Bay Estuary, 27°06'00.00"S, 32°52'58.80"E; 74 m. USNM 91782 (1 specimen): Eastern margin, 26 km from Port St. Johns /off Bulolo Estuary, 29°34'47.99"S, 31°41'59.99"E; 138 m.

Description.

Corallum ceratoid to subcylindrical, straight to slightly curved, attached. Calice elliptical (GCD:LCD = 1.1-1.3), with slightly lanceted calicular margin. Largest specimen examined (USNM 91782) 11.9 × 9.2 mm in CD, and 34.0 mm in H. Epitheca absent. Costae well developed throughout corallum, broad, separated by porous and thin intercostal striae, and covered with low-profile granules. Corallum white.

Septa hexamerally arranged in five cycles, last cycle being incomplete, according to the formula: S1 ≥ S2 > S4 > S3; or if S5 present S1-2 > S3 > S5 > S4 (≤ 81 septa). S1-2 most exsert, both independent, sometimes reaching columella with straight axial margins. Higher cycle septa (S3-5) progressively less exsert, if at all. S3 ½ size (USNM 91780), or only slightly smaller than S2 (USNM 91782). S3 axial margins straight and vertical. S4 dimorphic in size: those neighbouring S1 ~ as wide as S2; but those neighbouring S2 being the same size as S3, with dentate axial margins (USNM 91780). In half-systems with S5, S4 ~ ½ the width of S3, whereas in half systems without S5, S4 similar in size to S1. S4 bear straight and slightly dentate axial margins (USNM 91782). In most cases a pair of S4 merge before S3 and extend to columella as one septum but sometimes the S5 is arranged in a Pourtalès Plan. Septal face granulation perpendicularly arranged. Fossa shallow, containing a spongy columella that sometimes is slender and aligned in GCD plane (USNM 91782), or relatively small and restricted to fossa (USNM 91780).

Distribution.

Regional: Southern to eastern margin of South Africa, from off Shaka’s Rock extending towards Kosi Bay Estuary (27 km south of Ponta Do Ouro: Mozambique); 74-138 m. Elsewhere: Mozambique ( Cairns and Keller 1993); Pemba ( Gardiner and Waugh 1939); Tanzania ( Cairns and Keller 1993); northern banks of Kenya ( Cairns and Keller 1993); Maldives ( Gardiner and Waugh 1939); Red Sea ( Gardiner and Waugh 1939); 6-274 m.

Remarks.

Records of Balanophyllia (B.) diffusa listed herein are those reported by Cairns and Keller (1993), who noted that the quasi-colonial nature of Gardiner and Waugh’s (1939 [page 239])) specimens is a result of specimens settling closer to one another. The largest examined specimen (USNM 91782) has closely packed septa, and a relatively complex and elongated columella, as compared with the other specimen (USNM 91782), which exhibits loosely packed septa and a fairly simple and short columella.

Figures

Figure 8. A, B Balanophyllia (Balanophyllia) diffusa A (USNM 91782, off Port St. Johns, 138 m) calicular view B (USNM 91780, off Kosi Bay Estuary, 74 m) calicular view C, D Balanophyllia (Balanophyllia Balanophyllia) sp. cf. Balanophyllia Balanophyllia malouinensis C (SAM _ H 3069, off East London, 146 - 238 m) calicular view D (SAM _ H 3068, off Mazeppa Bay, 174 m) lateral view E, F Balanophyllia (Eupsammia) stimpsonii (SAM _ H 3831, off Cape Point, 97 - 99 m) E calicular view F lateral view G, H Dendrophyllia arbuscula (SAMC _ A 073119, off Cape Vidal, 65 - 70 m) G calicular view H lateral view I, J Dendrophyllia cladonia I (SAM _ H 1445, off Plettenberg Bay, 146 m) calicular view J (SAM _ H 2833, off Gonubie, 155 m) lateral view K, L Dendrophyllia cornigera K (USNM 91827, off Durban, 232 m) calicular view L (SAM _ H 3841, off Pringle Bay, depth unknown) lateral view M, N Dendrophyllia dilatata (SAMC _ A 073016, off Richards Bay, 500 m) M calicular view N lateral view O, P Dendrophyllia ijimai O (USNM 91844, off Shaka's Rock, 68 - 70 m) calicular view P (SAMC _ A 090121, off Port Dunford, 85 m) lateral view. Scale bars: 10 mm (A - I, K, M, O); 100 mm (J, L, N, P).