Melithaea squamata ( Nutting, 1911 )

Ramvilas, Ghosh, Alderslade, Philip & Ranjeet, Kutty, 2023, The taxonomy of Indian gorgonians: an assessment of the descriptive records of gorgonians (Anthozoa: Octocorallia: Alcyonacea) recorded as occurring in the territorial waters of India, along with neighbouring regions and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and the highlighting of perceived unethical practice, Zootaxa 5236 (1), pp. 1-124 : 32

Melithaea squamata ( Nutting, 1911)

Melitodes squamata Nutting, 1911: 41–42 , pl. 7, fig. 1&1a; pl. 12, fig. 1 (Timor).

Melithaea squamata Ofwegen 1987: 10–14 , figs. 3–6.

Opinion: There is no evidence that this species occurs in the region.

Justification:

These Indian records are either unconfirmable or seem to be invalid: Fernando, 2011: 23, pl. 5, figs. 1&1c (SW coast); Fernando et al. 2017: 39, pl. 15, fig. 1, 1a,1b &1c (SW coast).

Literature analysis: Nutting erected this species under the original name Melitodes squamata , for a specimen collected in Indonesia. The accounts of the Indian material by Fernando (2011) and Fernando et al. (2017) are identical, but instead of descriptive text there is a reference to the paper by Ofwegen (1987) where the sclerites of the holotype are illustrated.

The coenenchyme of Melithaea squamata only contains very small sclerites that are predominantly in the form of birotulates or double-discs along with short, broad-headed clubs, and the calyces contain only short knobbed clubs. Although the sclerite illustrations given by Fernando (2011) and Fernando et al. (2017) are exceedingly small, it is clear that they do not match those of the holotype as there are some large warty clubs, many long warty spindles, and a couple of disc-spindles or unilaterally foliate spheroids. Kumar et al. (2019) just lists the species and give references.