Parazoanthidae sp. 2

Reimer, James D., Poliseno, Angelo & Hoeksema, Bert W., 2014, Shallow-water zoantharians (Cnidaria, Hexacorallia) from the Central Indo-Pacific, ZooKeys 444, pp. 1-57 : 16

Taxon classification Animalia Zoantharia Parazoanthidae

19. Parazoanthidae sp. 2 Figures 16C, D, 17

Specimens examined

(n=1). RMNH Coel 40762, Snellius–II Expedition, Station 4.227, west Pulau Tinanja, Taka Bone Rate (06°32'48"S, 121°09'36"E), depth = 60 m, collected on October 15, 1984 by rectangular dredge.

Photographic records.

NA.

Description.

Epibiotic on Cirripathes sp. (specimen RMNH Coel 24832). Polyps of this azooxanthellate zoantharian specimen are relatively small (average width 2.1 mm, n=8 polyps) and do not protrude much from the coenenchyme, with polyp height approximately same as width. Polyps and coenenchyme are heavily encrusted, and golden yellow-brown in color. Coenenchyme forms a thin sheath over the antipatharian surface. Capitulary ridges not clearly discernable. Polyps form semi-regular vertical rows over short distances of the antipatharian (e.g. approx. 5 cm), but with no observable pattern for the entire colony (Figure 16C). Colony encrusts the top approximately 1/2 of the Cirripathes specimen; starting approximately 15 cm from the bottom holdfast. The Cirripathes colony’s proximal tip appears to be broken off and missing.

Distribution.

Regions recorded in this study (Figure 17). Taka Bone Rate (11).

Past records. NA.

Remarks.

This species may belong to genus Antipathozoanthus , which was described recently by Sinniger et al. (2010) and includes species from both the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific, with reports of specimens also from the Red Sea ( Reimer et al. 2014b). It is likely several undescribed Antipathozoanthus species are present in the Indo-Pacific, as only one Antipathozoanthus species from the Galapagos has been formally described. In situ images and DNA sequences are needed to formally describe this species.