Ellisella eustala Grasshoff, 1999

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 : 88

Ellisella eustala Grasshoff, 1999

Ellisella eustala Grasshoff, 1999: 80 , fig. 132; pl. 9, fig. 3 ( New Caledonia).

Nicella flabellata Tixier-Durivault 1970: 332 .

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

Justification:

These Indian records seem to be either invalid or unconfirmable: Kumar et al. 2014a: 14, pl. 4, fig. A–D (Havelock Is.); Fernando et al. 2017: 234, pl. 108, fig. A–D (Havelock Is.).

Literature analysis: The publications of Kumar et al. (2014a) and Fernando et al. (2017) present identical accounts, but the true characteristics of the material are unknown because their description is taken virtually wordfor-word from parts of Grasshoffs original text, even incorporating the same sclerite and colony measurements. This has resulted in the size of their specimen being reported as 18 x 9 cm but also as 30 to 50 cm as per Grasshoff’s text. Importantly, three of their sclerite illustrations also appear in modified form in their descriptions of E. azillia Grasshoff , and three from the Fernando et al. (2017) description also appear in modified form in the Kumar et al. (2014a) figures for Verrucella gabulensis Grasshoff. Ellisella eustala is probably endemic to New Caledonia.