Callogorgia kinoshitai ( Kuekenthal , 1913), nom. correct.

Cairns, Stephen D., 2018, Deep-Water Octocorals (Cnidaria, Anthozoa) from the Galapagos and Cocos Islands. Part 1: Suborder Calcaxonia, ZooKeys 729, pp. 1-46 : 6-7

Callogorgia kinoshitai ( Kuekenthal, 1913), nom. correct. Figures 2b, 6

Calligorgia sertosa Nutting 1909: 715.

Calligorgia kinoshitae Kükenthal 1913: 264-266, text-figs E–F, pl. 8, fig. 10; Kükenthal 1919: 370; 1924: 270.

Callogorgia kinoshitae Bayer 1982: 122 (key); Cairns 2007b: 512 (listed); Cairns and Bayer 2009: 29 (listed).

Material examined.

Alb-3406, 1 colony and SEM stubs 2300-2302, USNM 50960; Alb-3410, 1 colony, USNM 50959; Alb-4530, 1 colony, USNM 49611; Alb-4537, 3 colonies, USNM 30030, 43126, and 58986; Desteiquer , 36°37'12"N, 122°13'18"W, 1476-1609 m, 1 colony, USNM 75231; Alb-4357, USNM 30084 (syntype).

Types.

Kükenthal (1913) established this species on the specimens described by Nutting (1909) as C. sertosa . Although Kükenthal examined some of those specimens and added information about them, he did not report any additional specimens or designate a type. The specimens reported by Nutting (1909) are thus considered as syntypes, and include those from Alb-4356, Alb-4357 (USNM 30084, SEM stubs 2298-2299), Alb-4358, Alb-4386, and Alb-4391, all presumably deposited at the NMNH, although only Alb-4357 could be located in 2017.

Type locality.

As defined by the syntype series, the type-locality extends from northern Baja California (latitude 30°30'30"N) to just north of San Diego (latitude 33°02'15"N), and includes the bathymetric range of 219-2469 m.

Distribution.

Galápagos: between Santa Cruz and Marchena, 605-1008 m deep. Elsewhere: northern Baja California to Monterey Bay (new records), California, 219-2469 m deep.

Description.

Colonies are uniplanar and taller than wide, the largest Galápagos specimen (Alb-3406) a broken colony only 18 cm in height, but the largest syntype measuring up to 26 cm in height. Branching is alternate pinnate (sympodial and geniculate, Figure 2b), the terminal distal branchlets only about 4 cm in length. The polyps are arranged in whorls of two or three (Figures 6a, b), although Kükenthal (1919) reported a range of two to six, with four being the most common number. The whorl diameter is about 1.5 mm. The polyps are 1.3-1.5 mm in length, and slightly clavate (Figures 6c, d). The color of the colony and polyps is white.

There are eight longitudinal rows of body wall scales, decreasing in number from ab- to adaxial polyp side, the body wall sclerite formula being: 6 –8:1–2:1–2:1– 2. The marginal and submarginal abaxial body wall scales (Figure 6g) have a ctenate distal edge and increase in width and thickness from distal to proximal position. The basalmost abaxials are short but quite wide (up to 0.95 mm), curving around most of the basal part of the polyp and occupying the space normally reserved for the proximal outer and inner lateral scales. These scales serve as infrabasals (Figure 6i), forming a transition from the plate-like body wall scales (Figure 6h) to the thick elongate coenenchymal scales (Figure 6j). The outer (Figure 6f) and inner lateral body wall scales are quite wide (0.5-0.6 mm) and have a finely serrate distal edge. The adaxial scales (Figure 6d) are narrow, only about 0.3 mm in width. The outer surface of the body wall scales is relatively smooth, and covered with small, low granules. All body wall scales are curved to fit the circumference of the polyp body. The opercular scales (Figure 6d, e) range in length from 0.50-0.75 mm, decreasing in length from ab- to adaxial polyp side, forming a prominent operculum; their L:W ranges from 2.8-3.0. The relatively high L:W ratio is caused by an attenuate tip that is essentially round in cross section and covered on all surfaces by small spines arranged in longitudinal rows. The coenenchymal sclerites (Figure 6j) are elongate (L:W = 5-6) and thick, up to 0.55 mm in length and about 0.1 mm in width. They are longitudinally arranged in one layer on the branches. Their outer surface covered by low granules.

Comparisons.

Although this species was originally identified as C. sertosa by Nutting (1909), that species differs in having more pairs of outer body wall scales, a pitted body wall outer surface texture, and a tessellate coenenchymal scale arrangement ( Cairns 2016). As seen from the key above, C. kinoshitai is most similar to C. joubini (Versluys, 1906) (Indonesia, 520 m deep) but differs from that species in having inner and outer lateral scales and elongate (not polygonal) coenenchymal scales.

Remarks.

Kükenthal (1919) described a sclerite formula of 7 –8:7– 8:4:2 for this species, but the syntype from Alb-4357 clearly has only two outer lateral scales and thus his sclerite formula is doubted.

Nomenclature.

This species was clearly named after Kumao Kinoshita, and thus the name is herein changed to reflect a masculine ending.