Heteropsammia eupsammides (Gray, 1849)

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

Heteropsammia eupsammides (Gray, 1849)

Fig. 10C, D.

Heterocyathus eupsammides Gray, 1849: 77, pl. 2, figs 5-7.

Heteropsammia geminata Verrill, 1870: 370-371, fig. 1. -van der Horst 1922: 67. -Faustino 1927: 239-240, pl. 76, figs 11-13.

Heteropsammia multilobata Moseley, 1881: 196-197, pl. 12, figs 1-3.

Heteropsammia michelini . -van der Horst 1926: 51, pl. 3, figs 14-20. -Gardiner and Waugh 1938: 241.

Heteropsammia cochlea . -Veron and Pichon 1980: 416-420.

Heteropsammia eupsammides . -Hoeksema and Best 1991: 237-240. - Kitahara and Cairns 2021: 336-338, figs 178D-I, 179.

Type locality.

China Sea ( Verrill 1870).

Type material.

Unknown.

Material examined.

SAMC_A090129 (1 specimen): Eastern margin, 69 km from Cape Vidal/ 5 km off Mgobezeleni Estuary, 27°31'36.12"S, 32°41'48.11"E; 40 m.

Imagery data.

ZMK (in part: 2 specimens): Locality data unknown.

Description.

Corallum solitary, encapsulating a gastropod shell, with one large efferent pore projecting downward from base of corallum, and several smaller efferent pores on lower theca. Calice irregular to elliptical (GCD:LCD = 1.5), calicular margin lanceted. Only specimen examined (SAMC_A090129) 12.9 × 8.7 mm in CD and 8.9 mm in H. Upper theca highly porous and usually composed of discontinuous but interconnected granular rows. Lower theca becoming more granular. Corallum white.

Septa hexamerally arranged in six incomplete cycles according to the formula: S1-2 > S3 > S5 > S4 (107 septa). S1-2 highly exsert, equally wide, with lower axial margins fusing to columellar elements. Higher cycle septa (S1-2) progressively less exsert. S31/2 the width of S1-2. S4 dimorphic in development: those in half-systems lacking S6 ~ 1/5 the width of S3; but those in half-systems with S61/3 the width S3. S5 also dimorphic, being double the width of S4 in half-systems lacking S6 and merging in front of S4 before meeting columella as one septum. However, in half-systems with S6, those S5 neighbouring S3 are double the width of S4, but those flanked by S6 are rudimentary. S61/3 the width of S4 and fuse before flanked S5, reaching columella as one septum. All septa with straight and slightly serrate axial margins. Fossa of moderate depth, containing a spongy columella.

Distribution.

Regional: Eastern margins of South Africa, off Cape Vidal; 40 m. Elsewhere: China Sea ( Verrill 1870); Indonesia (van der Horst 1922; Hoeksema and Best 1991); Philippines ( Moseley 1881); New Caledonia ( Kitahara and Cairns 2021); Australia (Veron and Pichon 1980); Maldives; Seychelles (van der Horst 1926); and Zanzibar (van der Horst 1926; Gardiner and Waugh 1938); 38-281 m.

Remarks.

Heteropsammia eupsammides is one of the apozooxanthellate species, like H. cochlea , it exhibits a symbiotic relationship with sipunculan worms. These two species may be distinguished from one another by whether they are monostomous or polystomous ( Cairns 2001: Heteropsammia eupsammides is polystomous [i.e., has > 2 calices formed by intra-stomodeal budding] (Hoeksema and Best 1991). The examined specimen of H. eupsammides appears to be in its early stages of calyx separation and therefore can be mistaken with H. cochlea . However, can be distinguished by the number of cycles (six incomplete cycles in H. eupsammides as compared with four complete ones in H. cochlea ) and a higher number of septa ( H. eupsammides :107 vs. H. cochlea :48), which is a resuly of varying stomata (smaller in H. eupsammides ). Apart from the number of septa cycles, the septa profile varies between the two species, whereby H. eupsammides bears S3 > S5 > S4, with straight to slightly serrated axial margins, and lacking porous triangular lancets (as compared with H. cochlea which has S4 > S3, with consistent straight axial margins, and bearing triangular lancets). This record represents a range southern range extension from Zanzibar.

Figures

Figure 10. A, B Heteropsammia cochlea (ORI _ EIe 1, locality data unknown) A calicular view B lateral view C, D Heteropsammia eupsammides (ZMK, locality data unknown) C calicular view D calicular view E-H Pourtalopsammia togata E, F (SAM _ H 2829, off East London, 146 - 238 m) E calicular view F lateral view G, H (SAM _ H 2831, off Cintsa, 159 m) G calicular view H lateral view I, J Rhizopsammia annae (SAM _ H 1497, off the Agulhas, depth unknown) I calicular view J lateral view K, L Rhizopsammia compacta (SAMC _ A 073041, off Kosi Bay Estuary, 69 m) K calicular view L lateral view M, N Rhizopsammia verrilli (SAM _ H 1502, off Richards Bay, 165 m) M calicular view N lateral view O Tubastraea coccinea (ORI _ EIb 4, Isipingo; depth unknown) P Tubastraea sp. cf. Tubastraea diaphana (SAM _ H 5103, Cape Vidal, 59 m): Calicular view. Scale bars: 10 mm.