Tridentisis France and Watling

France, Scott C. & Watling, Les, 2024, Toward a revision of the bamboo corals: Part 6, Illuminating a new candelabrum genus (Octocorallia: Keratoisididae), Zootaxa 5497 (4), pp. 505-519 : 507

Tridentisis France and Watling , gen. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:603B6FDD-6406-401B-B351-900D80AAE74E

Type species. Tridentisis candelabrum , sp. nov.

Diagnosis. Colonies with a long unbranched “stem” that reaches a node from which 3 branches arise and grow vertically to produce the appearance of a trident. From this initial trifurcation, additional bifurcations arise in a single plane from each subsequent node of the lateralmost branches; the lateral growth curves upward into vertical branches to give the colony the appearance of a planar candelabrum. Branches arise from the nodes. Polyps arise on all sides of the axis. Polyps present on the main stem below the trifurcation but do not extend to the holdfast, leaving the lower stem with smooth coenenchyme. Prominent inter-tentacular needles protrude beyond the folded tentacles.

Etymology. An allusion to Neptune’s trident for the early colony growth stage, and-isis, the stem group name.