Culicia japonica Yabe & Eguchi, 1936

Lam, Katherine, Morton, Brian & Hodgson, Paul, 2008, Ahermatypic corals (Scleractinia: Dendrophylliidae, Oculinidae and Rhizangiidae) recorded from submarine caves in Hong Kong, Journal of Natural History 42 (9 - 12), pp. 729-747 : 740-741

Culicia japonica Yabe & Eguchi, 1936

( Figure 4C )

Culicia japonica Yabe & Eguchi, 1936:167–168 , Figs 1–3

Culicia japonica Yabe & Eguchi, 1942 a:128

Culicia japonica Eguchi, 1968 :C26–27, Plate C9, Figs 1–3

Culicia japonica Song, 1982:133–134 , Plate 1, Figs 1–3 ; 1988:26–27, Plate 1, Figs 7–10; 1991:131; Ogawa et al. 1996:40, Plate 2, Fig. 2 , Plate 4, Fig. 1

Description

Tympanoid solitary corallum or reptoid colonies. Corallites cylindrical and small, 4– 5.9 mm in diameter and 2.5–5 mm in height. Epithecal wall higher than septal margin. Septal order is hexameral and in four cycles, which may be incomplete. Septa have a lateral granulation. Columella well-developed and granulated. Fossa shallow. Living corallites are light pink.

Type locality

Mie Prefecture, Japan, depth 100 m.

Distribution

Korea (20 m) ( Song 1991), Japan ( Ogawa et al. 1996), open water seabed and Conic Island and Steep Island Caves, Hong Kong ( Lam 2003; this study).

Remarks

The recruitment of Culicia japonica onto an experimental pulverised fuel ashconcrete artificial reef in Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park, Hong Kong, has been

documented by Lam (2003). Collinson (1997) also reported recruitment of this coral onto plastic plates in the same bay.

Figures

Figure 1. Balanophyllia sp. and Dendrophyllia sp. A–B, calicular (longer diameter56.5 mm) and side view of four solitary corallites of B. eguchii (maximum height59.02 mm); C–D, calicular (longer diameter514.9 mm) and top view of a B. ponderosa colony (height531.3 mm); E–G, calicular (longer diameter57.8 mm) and side views of two colonies of D. arbuscula (colony size of F and G535.1 mm and 40.1 mm, respectively); H–I, top and side views of a small D. arbuscula colony (height518.2); J–L, calicular (longer diameter511.7 mm) and top views of two colonies of D. ehrenbergiana (height of K and L513 mm and 19.8 mm, respectively); M–N, calicular (longer diameter513.4 mm) and side view of a colony of D. coccinea (height527 mm); O–P, calicular (longer diameter58 mm) and side view of colony of D. compressa (height533.1 mm); Q–R, calicular (longer diameter59.9 mm) and four solitary corallites of D. gracilis (maximum height521.2 mm).

Figure 2. Tubastrea sp. A–B, calicular (longer diameter58.2 mm) and top view of a colony of T. coccinea (length×width598.7 mm×34.6 mm); C–D, calicular (longer diameter56.37 mm) and top view of a colony of T. faulkneri (length×width568.9 mm×21.56 mm); E–J, calicular and side views of colonies of T. diaphana (height of F533 mm, height of G and H518.5 mm, longer calicular diameter and height of I and J59.9 and 21.5 mm, respectively); K–L, calicular (longer diameter59.5 mm) and top view of a colony of T. sibogae (height531.3 mm); M–O, calicular (longer diameter58.3 mm), top and side view of a colony of T. turbinata (height522.7 mm).

Figure 3. Tubastrea diaphana collected from Conic Island cave being grazed by three individuals of Aeolidiella sp. The white area of the skeleton is the grazed area. One Aeolidiella is on the top of the colony, the second is on the bottom and the third one was dislodged during collection.

Figure 4. Cyathelia sp., Culicia sp. and Oulangia sp. A–B, calicular (longer diameter55.1 mm) and colony of Cyathelia axillaris (height535.85 mm); C, calicular of Culicia japonica (longer diameter55.9 mm); D, caliculars of Culicia rubeola (colony size515.3 mm×14 mm) and E, calicular of Oulangia stokesiana (longer diameter59 mm).