46,134 research outputs found
Tanyostea Lapointe & Watling 2022, new genus
No full textTanyostea new genus Diagnosis. Colony a curved, unbranched whip. Polyps contain eight long, individual tentacular needles that form a distinctive V-shape surrounding the tentacles, with very few sclerites in the polyp basal section. The axis is covered by a thick coenenchyme. The polyp body consists of two parts, which may be separated by a conspicuous bend in the body midway along the length. The tentacles contain long, thin rods, and sclerites of the pharynx are elongated. Type species. Tanyostea wolverini new species, by monotypy Remarks. The segmented polyp body, bending abaxially, and the V-shaped arrangement of intertentacular sclerites are unique characters attributed to this genus. As noted by Watling et al. (2022) unbranched colonies occur in several clades of the Keratoisididae. This new genus, Tanyostea, is representative of clade C1 (Fig. 2), all the known members of which are characterized by having unbranched colonies. Etymology. The genus name is based on the Greek adjective tany = long, and the noun osteon = bone, a reference to the long internodes of the axial skeleton that characterize the type species.Published as part of Lapointe, Abby & Watling, Les, 2022, Towards a revision of the bamboo corals (Octocorallia): Part 5, new genera and species of Keratoisididae from the Tasmanian deep sea, pp. 137-157 in Zootaxa 5168 (2) on page 153, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5168.2.3, http://zenodo.org/record/687716
Onkoisis Lapointe & Watling 2022, new genus
No full textOnkoisis new genus Diagnosis. Axis internodes solid and massive near the colony base, nearly as wide as long becoming longer on the upper branches, side branches gently curving, occasionally with proximal node; polyps densely arranged with only a thin layer of coenenchyme, polyp body low and conical or tall and cylindrical, with needle or long rod sclerites more or less grouped longitudinally at the mesenterial insertions. Type species. Keratoisis magnifica Dueñas, Alderslade & Sánchez, 2014 Etymology. The genus name is derived from Gr. onkos = bulk, mass + isis the stem group name. Remarks. This genus characterizes clade H1 of Watling et al. (2022) (Fig. 2). It has moderate support and is separated from the well-supported clade in which the type species of Keratoisis, K. grayi, resides. Morphologically, the shape and design of the polyp and arrangement of the sclerites differs considerably from that of K. grayi, which supports the erection of a separate genus for this species. Included Species. O. magnifica (Dueñas et al. 2014), O. solitaria (Grant, 1976).Published as part of Lapointe, Abby & Watling, Les, 2022, Towards a revision of the bamboo corals (Octocorallia): Part 5, new genera and species of Keratoisididae from the Tasmanian deep sea, pp. 137-157 in Zootaxa 5168 (2) on page 148, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5168.2.3, http://zenodo.org/record/687716
Dokidisis Lapointe & Watling 2022, new genus
No full textDokidisis new genus Diagnosis. Colony unbranched or rarely with a branch at the node. The axis is large and thick throughout the colony. The polyp body and tentacles contain short, blunt rods, with no septal needles, and the pharynx contains very few sclerites. The coenenchyme contains elongated, flat rods. Type species. Dokidisis australis new species, by monotypy Remarks. See below. Etymology. The genus name is based on the Greek noun dokidos = small beam or rod, a reference to the shape of the sclerites in the polyp body and tentacles.Published as part of Lapointe, Abby & Watling, Les, 2022, Towards a revision of the bamboo corals (Octocorallia): Part 5, new genera and species of Keratoisididae from the Tasmanian deep sea, pp. 137-157 in Zootaxa 5168 (2) on page 155, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5168.2.3, http://zenodo.org/record/687716
Adinisis Lapointe & Watling 2022, new genus
No full textAdinisis new genus Diagnosis. Colony varies from unbranched whip to branched fans with a thick and robust axis. Polyps are densely arranged along the axis, with little coenenchyme between them. Polyps usually have a thick epidermal layer supported by collagen fibers. Sclerites in the distal portion of the polyp body are all or predominantly needles or rods with a distinctly septal arrangement. The basal part of the polyp body and coenenchyme may contain numerous scales or may be devoid of sclerites. Pharyngeal sclerites are wide, thorny rods, often with acute teeth. Type species. Adinisis thresheri n. sp. Etymology. The name of this genus is based on the Greek adinos = meaning thick, dense, crowded, in reference to the very dense arrangement of polyps along the axis + isis, the stem name of the group. Remarks. Adinisis is characterized by the thick and robust axis densely covered with generally tall polyps. This genus characterizes most of clade B1 of Watling et al. (2022) (Fig. 2), whose colony form is generally unbranched tall and curly whips, but also includes a small subclade of undescribed fan-like colonies with unusual polyps found off the Aleutian Islands, Alaska. Those specimens and a large number of other species attributable to this genus will be described in a future paper.Published as part of Lapointe, Abby & Watling, Les, 2022, Towards a revision of the bamboo corals (Octocorallia): Part 5, new genera and species of Keratoisididae from the Tasmanian deep sea, pp. 137-157 in Zootaxa 5168 (2) on page 149, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5168.2.3, http://zenodo.org/record/687716
Melithaea cervicornis Watling 2020, n. comb.
No full text<i>Melithaea cervicornis</i> (Thomson & Dean, 1931) n. comb. <p>(Figs. 5–7)</p> <p> <i>Muricellisis cervicornis</i> Thomson & Dean, 1931</p> <p> <b>Diagnosis.</b> Colony with irregular branching, axis white, nodes gold-colored. Polyps fully retractable into calyx. Sclerites spindles or flattened spindles with large tubercles.</p> <p> <b>Type specimen.</b> Zoölogisches Museum Amsterdam.</p> <p> <b>Type locality.</b> Siboga Expedition, Station 139, 0° 11’ S, 127° 25’ E., in channel between Pulau Bacan and Pulau Laluin in the South Halamahara Regency, Indonesia. Depth, 397 m.</p> <p> <b>Description.</b> Only a few fragments, totaling 12 cm, of this species were collected (Fig. 5a, d). The diameter of the largest axis fragment is 3.6 mm, that with the polyps is 1.3 mm. Most fragments have no polyps.About 30 polyps are present. The polyps are mostly retracted into a calyx of 1–1.5 mm diameter and 0.5 mm height (Fig. 5e, f).</p> <p>The axis is typical for the family, with elongate (~ 5–12 mm) internodes interrupted by short (~ 1 mm long), golden nodes (Fig. 6a). The internodes are solid with an exterior layer of elongate stick-like sclerites 0.16–0.35 mm in length (Fig. 6 b–d). The nodes are of the same diameter as the internodes and contain numerous short (0.75– 0.13 mm), smooth rods embedded in a thin organic matrix (Fig 6e,f).</p> <p> The sclerites of the coenenchyme and calyx (Fig. 7d, e) are simple, densely tuberculate, somewhat flattened plates or more elongate, tuberculate rods up to 0.4 mm length. No clubs or other complex sclerites typical of the genus <i>Melithaea</i> were found. Sclerites on the upper part of the polyp are long, curved rods or flat rods, up to 0.41 mm in length, arranged in a collaret and points. Those of the points are more tuberculate and shorter (up to 0. 32 mm length) than those of the collaret (Fig. 7b,c). Tentacle sclerites are flattened tuberculate rods (Fig. 7a) up to 0.17 mm length. No sclerites were retrieved from the pharynx.</p> <p> <b>Remarks.</b> The construction of the axis and nodes is typical of the genus <i>Melithaea</i>. In particular, the small, smooth rods in the node are similar to those seen in other members of the genus. On the other hand, the relative simplicity of the sclerites is uncommon, occurring only in one or a few other <i>Melithaea</i> species.</p> <p> <i>Melithaea cervicornis</i> is most similar to <i>M. modesta</i> from Japan (Matsumoto and Ofwegen, 2015) in the lack of clubs in the calyx and well as the look of the axis and nodes. However, the two species differ in the degree and form of the tuberculation on the sclerites. In <i>M. cervicornis</i> the tubercles are large, rounded, and crowded whereas in <i>M. modesta</i> they are taller, more spine-like, and more widely spaced (the distance between the tubercles being larger than the tubercle diameter). The two species are found in different biogeographic provinces (Watling <i>et al.</i>, 2013; Summers and Watling, in press), but could be closely related taxa.</p>Published as part of <i>Watling, Les, 2020, Toward a revision of the bamboo corals: Part 1, species in the Muricellisidinae (Octocorallia: Isididae), pp. 361-371 in Zootaxa 4881 (2)</i> on pages 367-368, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4881.2.9, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/4283769">http://zenodo.org/record/4283769</a>
Hyalella franciscae Gonza´lez & Watling 2003, n. sp.
No full text<i>Hyalella franciscae</i> n. sp. <p>(figures 1–5)</p> <p> <i>Hyalella</i> sp. ‘B’ Bousfield, 1996: 188, figure 15C.</p>Published as part of <i>Gonza´lez, Exequiel R. & Watling, Les, 2003, A new species of Hyalella from the Patagonia, Chile, with redescription of H. simplex Schellenberg, 1943 (Crustacea: Amphipoda), pp. 2077-2094 in Journal of Natural History 37 (17)</i> on page 2078, DOI: 10.1080/00222930210133246, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/5263168">http://zenodo.org/record/5263168</a>
Dokidisis australis Lapointe & Watling 2022, new species
No full textDokidisis australis new species Figure 15 Material Examined. Holotype: Tasman Fracture Zone, Outer Wall, Tasmanian Seamounts, TMAG K3834, collected on 08 January 2009, -45.3742, 144.5933, 3256 m, 1.35° C bottom temp. Diagnosis. With the characters of the genus. Description of Holotype. Colony unbranched or forks once at the node, with a thick and robust axis (Fig. 15A, B). Only a portion of the colony was collected. The axis contains numerous longitudinal grooves and is 15 mm diameter at the basal section and 9 mm diameter in the distalmost portion of the colony. The hollow core is less than 1 mm in diameter at the base and increases slightly in diameter as the colony grows, reaching about 1 mm distally. Polyps are sparsely scattered on all sides of the axis, with large areas of thin coenenchyme between polyps. Sclerites in the polyp body are blunt rods, arranged longitudinally and obliquely (Fig. 15C). Rods may be slightly curved, club-shaped, and vary in width (Fig. 15D). Needles and scales are not present in the polyp body. Sclerites are sparsely and irregularly arranged throughout the coenenchyme in the form of flat rods, ranging in length from 0.14 to 0.26 mm (Fig. 15E). Small flat rods, similar to those in the coenenchyme, may be sparsely arranged at the base of the polyp body as well. Scales are not present in the coenenchyme. Sclerites similar in shape to those in the polyp body but slightly smaller in size are arranged longitudinally along the aboral side (rachis) of the tentacles. Flat rods are arranged along the pinnules, perpendicular to the tentacle. Flat rods are decorated with numerous tubercles and longitudinal grooves (Fig. 15F). Sclerites are very sparse in the pharynx, and several polyps had to be examined before any sclerites were found. The polyp pharynx lacks sclerites in the form of thorny rods or double stars. The two sclerites found in the pharynx were measured at 0.09 and 0.11 mm in length, with several longitudinal grooves and irregular borders (Fig. 15G). It is possible that the sclerites found in the pharynx may be contaminants produced during dissection. Etymology. The species name is based on the Latin adjective australis = southern, a reference to the southern hemisphere where the specimen was collected. Remarks. Dokidisis australis is similar to Jasonisis thresheri, a new genus and species recently described from Tasmania (Alderslade and McFadden, 2012), in that both species branch at the node and lack intertentacular needles and pharyngeal sclerites in the form of thorny rods or double stars. However, unlike J. thresheri, D. australis is not covered by a thick tegument and the blunt rods in the polyp body differ significantly from the densely-packed scales in Jasonisis. Besides the lack of pharyngeal sclerites, we could not determine a set of specific characters that would include D. australis in the genus Jasonisis, even though the two species are in the same large J clade (see Watling et al. 2022) (Fig. 2). That clade has many morphologically diverse specimens within it and we suspect that with increased sampling the relationships of the several forms will become clear.Published as part of Lapointe, Abby & Watling, Les, 2022, Towards a revision of the bamboo corals (Octocorallia): Part 5, new genera and species of Keratoisididae from the Tasmanian deep sea, pp. 137-157 in Zootaxa 5168 (2) on pages 155-156, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5168.2.3, http://zenodo.org/record/687716
A new genus of bamboo coral (Octocorallia: Isididae) from the Bahamas
No full textWatling, Les (2015): A new genus of bamboo coral (Octocorallia: Isididae) from the Bahamas. Zootaxa 3918 (2): 239-249, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3918.2.
Toward a revision of the bamboo corals: Part 1, species in the Muricellisidinae (Octocorallia: Isididae)
No full textWatling, Les (2020): Toward a revision of the bamboo corals: Part 1, species in the Muricellisidinae (Octocorallia: Isididae). Zootaxa 4881 (2): 361-371, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4881.2.
Anthothela echinata Watling 2020, n. comb.
No full textAnthothela echinata (Kükenthal, 1915) n. comb. (Figs. 1–4) Muricellisis echinata Kükenthal, 1915, p. 124; Kükenthal, 1919, p. 627 Diagnosis. Colony membranaceous. Polyp cylindrical, often exsert or invaginated into calyx, crowded together with little coenenchyme space. Coenenchyme and calyx sclerites clubs, thorn-clubs, sticks and spindles; polyp sclerites sticks and spindles arranged as collaret and points. Tentacle sclerites short, flat tuberculate rods along the rachis with spatulate clubs in the pinnules. Pharyngeal sclerites not known. Type specimen. Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin, Germany Type locality. Sagami Bay, 730 m. Description. The type consists of three fragments totaling 11 cm according to Kükenthal (1919). The following description applies to an 8 cm piece loaned from the Museum für Naturkunde (Fig. 1a). The colony is membranaceous, overgrowing a piece of axis from a keratoisid bamboo coral (Fig. 2 e–g). Polyp calyces are very closely arranged with little coenenchyme space between them (Fig. 1b). The polyps are cylindrical, short, and mostly invaginated within the calyx, with the tentacles folded into the polyp (Fig. 1c, d). The polyp does not appear to have a typical cylindrical pharynx, rather there is a thick ring of tissue (“pharyngeal ring”) attached at the proximal end of the polyp as it invaginates into the calyx (Fig 1c, d, P). A few sclerites are visible under the tissue on the proximal (ventral) side of the pharyngeal ring (Fig. 2b, c). Short septa (S) extend proximally to the calyx wall from the pharyngeal ring and seem to spread across the interior of the calyx (Fig. 1c, d, Fig. 2d). In one case, eggs appear to be present along the inner calyx wall (Fig. 2a). The sclerites of the coenenchyme consists of sticks and small clubs (Fig. 3a). Most of the calyx sclerites are small clubs and thorn clubs of various sizes (Fig. 3b). The polyp sclerites are spindles in a collaret (?) and points arrangement. Flattened tuberculate rods are common on the tentacle rachis and small rods and spatulate clubs are found in the pinnules. Remarks. Kükenthal (1915, 1919) created the new genus Muricellisis for this species and added it to the Family Isididae as a new subfamily Muricellisidinae due to the presence of a calcareous axis with nodes and internodes underlying the polyps and coenenchyme. However, the curious form of the polyps and the spiny and tuberculate sclerites were unlike anything seen in the Isididae to that time. Kükenthal noted that had the calcareous axis not been present, he would have thought this species to be similar to Muriceides. The sclerites of this species, in particular the thorn-clubs of the calyx wall and spatulate clubs in the pinnules, suggests that the species belongs to the Anthothelidae. In addition, the documentation by Moore et al. (2017) that some members of the genus Anthothela could exist as membranous colonies with no axis cortex and medulla, hinted at the possibility that the keratoisidid axis present here could merely be a substrate on which the colony was growing. In fact, the form of the axis is definitely keratoisid-like, but also seems to be considerably degraded (images not shown). However, there are no members of the Keratoisidinae that have sclerites in the form possessed by this species. The most parsimonious explanation for the disparity between the form of the axis and the nature of the polyps and sclerites is that the octocoral and the axis on which it is growing do not belong to the same species. From the review of the Anthothelidae by Moore et al. (2017), there does not seem to be any known species in the genus Anthothela to which this species could belong. Several species have colonies with fully formed axes but as well are membranous growing on some unrelated substrate such as sponge spicules. Of the seven species of Anthothela, three have thorn clubs: in A. vickersi the thorn clubs are mostly rounded at the tips; those of A. aldersladei and A. tropicalis are most like those seen here in A. echinata. As with A. aldersladei, the thorn clubs are shorter (0.4–0.55 mm) than in A. tropicalis (0.33–0.78 mm). The calyces in A. aldersladei, however, are much taller than in A. echinata (1.5–2.5 mm in height vs. 1–1.5 mm, and 2–2.5 mm in width vs. 1.5–2 mm). Hockey stick sclerites were not observed in the few calyces and polyps of A. echinata that were examined. Their absence would further distinguish these two species.Published as part of Watling, Les, 2020, Toward a revision of the bamboo corals: Part 1, species in the Muricellisidinae (Octocorallia: Isididae), pp. 361-371 in Zootaxa 4881 (2) on pages 362-367, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4881.2.9, http://zenodo.org/record/428376
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