Hexapathes alis, Molodtsova, 2006

Molodtsova, Tina N., 2006, New species of Hexapathes Kinoshita, 1910 (Anthozoa, Antipatharia, Cladopathidae) from the South-West Pacific, Zoosystema 28 (3), pp. 597-606 : 604-605

Two newly described species, H. alis n. sp. and H. hivaensis n. sp., resemble the species of closely related genus Heliopathes in their long curved lateral

New Hexapathinae from the South-West Pacific

H. heterosticha H. australiensis H. alis n. sp. H. hivaensis n. sp.

Kinoshita, 1910 Opresko, 2003

Colony height (cm) 20 25 21 18.5

Colony width (cm) 19 7 20 19.5

Basal diameter of the stem (mm) 2 0.8 × 0.9 1.8 1.75

Unpinnulated region (cm) 2 2.5 2.5 2.4

Ridges and grooves at stem? present present present

Lateral pinnules directed obliquely straight; inclined curved at ends; curved; inclined above distally (60°) inclined distally distally (20-80°) (30-60°)

Arrangement of laterals? lowermost opposite, lowermost opposite, lowermost opposite, other alternate other alternate other alternate

Anterior pinnules directed basal perpendicular, inclined distally perpendicularly to horizontally upper inclined (30-60°) the stem and curved distally (70-80°) laterally

Length of laterals (cm) up to 14 5 up to 10.5 3-9 to 15 3.5-5 to 13-15

Length of anteriors (cm) up to 10 2-3 to 6 1-6.5 3-4 to 10-11

Distance between laterals (mm) 2.5-6 4-11 3.5-15 2.1-4.5

Basal diameter, of laterals (mm) 0.6 0.5 0.9-1.3 0.6-1.3

Subpinnules absent? up to 1 up to 2 absent

Spine morphology conical, laterally triangular to conical, triangular to triangular to conical compressed, laterally compressed,conical laterally laterally compressed, perpendicular to perpendicular to axis compressed, perpendicular to axis the axis or inclined or inclined distally perpendicular to or inclined distally or distally axis proximally

Spine size (mm) 0.05-0.10 0.08-0.12 0.04-0.07 0.04-0.07

(up to 0.14) (up to 0.09) (up to 0.09)

Polypar spines larger, more larger no significant no significant inclined difference difference

Axial rows 6-9 (total?) 3-5 in side view 4-6 in side view 5-7 in side view

Spine distance 0.35-0.6 mm apart 3-4 per 1 mm 3-5 per 1 mm 4-5 per 1 mm

Polyps 5-9 mm; high oral 3-4 mm 2.5-6 mm 3.1-5 mm (oral cones cones up to 3-4 mm); 2-3 polyps per 1 cm