Fungiacyathus (Fungiacythus) stephanus (Alcock, 1893)

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

Fungiacyathus (Fungiacythus) stephanus (Alcock, 1893)

Bathyactis stephanus Alcock, 1893: 149, pl. 5. figs 12, 12A.

Bathyactis stephana . - Alcock 1898: 11, 28-29, pl. 3.

Bathyactis sibogae Alcock, 1902a (in part). - Alcock 1902c: 38 (in part).

Bathyactis symmetrica . - Gardiner and Waugh 1939: 230-231 (in part).

Bathyactis stephana . - Gardiner and Waugh 1939: 232.

Fungiacyathus (Fungiacythus) stephanus . - Cairns 1989a: 7-9, pl 1, figs A-K, pl. 2, figs A-N. - Cairns and Keller 1993: 218, 230. - Cairns 1995: 31-32, pl 1, figs A-C. - Cairns and Zibrowius 1997: 68-69. - Cairns 1998. 369. -Cairns 1999. -Cairns 54-56. -Cairns 2004a: 271. - Kitahara and Cairns 2021: 162-164, figs 79E-F, 80.

Type locality.

Off Krishna Delta, Bay of Bengal; (HMS ‘Investigator’ stn. 133: 15°43'30"N, 81°19'30"E); 1240 m ( Cairns 1989a).

Type material.

The holotype is presumed to be deposited at the IM ( Cairns 1989b).

Material examined.

None.

Distribution.

Regional: Eastern margin of South Africa, off Natal ( Gardiner and Waugh 1939); depth unknown. Elsewhere: Mozambique ( Cairns and Keller 1993); Gulf of Aden ( Gardiner and Waugh 1939); Japan (Cairns 1994 a); Bay of Bengal ( Alcock 1893); Philippines; Indonesia ( Cairns 1989b; Cairns and Zibrowius 1997); Malaysia; Wallis and Futuna; Vanuatu ( Cairns 1999a); Australia; New Zealand ( Cairns 1995, 1998); 245-2000 m.

Remarks.

Fungiacyathus (F.) stephanus was first reported from South Africa as Bathyactis stephana ( Gardiner and Waugh 1939). Subsequently, Cairns and Keller (1993) also reported on records from the region. Of the five other Recent species ( F. fragilis Sars, 1872, F. paliferus (Alcock, 1902a), F. pusillus pusillus ( Pourtalès, 1868), F. pusillus pacificus Cairns, 1995, F. multicarinatus Cairns, 1998, F. sandoi Cairns, 1999), F. stephanus resembles F. fragilis but differs in having smaller P2, its S1-2 bearing higher septal lobes, and the concave-based forms having a marginal shelf.