Heteropsammia cochlea (Spengler, 1781)

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

Heteropsammia cochlea (Spengler, 1781)

Figs 9O, P , 10A, B

Madrepora cochlea Spengler, 1781: 240-248, figs A-D.

Psammoseris cylicioides Tenison-Woods, 1879: 10-11. -Tenison-Woods 1880: 297-299.

Heteropsammia michelini . -Kent 1893: 106, 177. - Wells 1964: 108, 120.

Heteropsammia cochlea . -van der Horst 1922: 66-67. -van der Horst 1926: 51. -Veron and Pichon 1980: 416-420, figs 727, 729. - Zibrowius and Grygier 1985: 129, figs 43-44. - Veron 1986: 576-577. -Hoeksema and Best 1991: 234-237, figs 24-28 (in part). - Cairns 1998: 406-408. - Cairns 1999a: 132-133. - Cairns et al. 1999: 27. -Veron 2000: 407. - Cairns 2001: 19-20, pl. 2, figs H-J, pl. 3, figs A-E -Cairns 2004a: 316. - Kitahara and Cairns 2021: 334, 336, figs 176C,178A-C.

Heterocyathus aequicostatus . - Boshoff 1981: 37.

Heteropsammia aphrodes . - Boshoff 1981: 42.

Heteropsammia cochleata . - Cairns 2009: 25.

Type locality.

Off Tranquebar, southeastern India, depth unknown (Spengler 1781).

Type material.

The type specimen is presumably lost (Cairns 2004a).

Material examined.

ORI_DIIIe1_3 (1 specimen), ORI_EIe1 (10 specimens): Eastern margin, locality data unknown. SAMC_A073006 (1 specimen): Locality data unknown; 17 m. SAMC_A073051 (6 specimens): Eastern margin,, 41 km south of Ponta Do Ouro / 26 km off Kosi Bay Estuary, 27°13'00.11"S, 32°49'41.87"E; 72 m. SAMC_A073061 (8 specimens): Eastern margin, 25 km from Cape Vidal / 23 km off St Lucia Estuary, 27°54'42.11"S, 32°36'42.11"E; 42- 50 m. SAMC_A073065 (1 specimen): Eastern margin, 67 km from CAPE VIDA/ 6 km off Mgobezeleni Estuary, 27°32'48.12"S, 32°42'00.00"E; 50 m. SAMC_A073072 (3 specimens): Eastern margin, 36 km from Cape Vidal / 33 km Mgobezeleni Estuary, 27°48'54.00"S, 32°38'24.00"E; 52 m. SAMC_A073084 (3 specimens): Locality data unknown. SAMC_A073086 (1 specimen): Eastern margin, 329 km from Port Edward / 330 km off Mtentu Estuary, 32°55'18.12"S, 32°55'18.12"E; 49 m. SAMC_A073089 (1 specimen): Eastern margin, 67 km south of Ponta Do Ouro / 14 km off Mgobezeleni Estuary, 27°26'12.11"S, 32°44'12.11"E; 55- 60 m. SAMC_A073090 (2 specimens): Eastern margin, 69 km from Cape Vidal / 5 km off Mgobezeleni Estuary, 27°31'36.12"S, 32°41'48.11"E; 40 m. SAMC_A073091 (2 specimens), SAMC_A073093 (1 specimen): Locality data unknown. SAMC_A073095 (3 specimens): Eastern margin, 66 km south of Ponta Do Ouro / 15 km off Mgobezeleni Estuary, 27°25'59.87"S, 32°44'30.12"E; 55- 100 m. SAMC_A073098 (1 specimen): Locality data unknown. SAMC_A073100 (5 specimens): Eastern margin, 42 km south of Ponta Do Ouro / 27 km off Kosi Bay Estuary, 27°13'30.00"S, 32°49'30.00"E; 78 m. SAMC_A073112 (2 specimens): Eastern margin, 35 km from Cape Vidal / 32 km off St Lucia Estuary, 27°49'41.87"S, 32°38'12.11"E; 54 m. SAMC_A073115 (5 specimens): Eastern margin, 35 km from Cape Vidal / 32 km off St Lucia Estuary, 27°49'41.87"S, 32°38'12.11"E; 47- 50 m. SAMC_A073118 (12 specimens): Eastern margin, 25 km off Cape Vidal / 23 km off St Lucia Estuary , 27°54'42.11"S, 32°36'42.11"E; 42-50 m; SAMC_A073124 (1 specimen): Eastern margin, 66 km south of Ponta Do Ouro / 15 km off Mgobezeleni Estuary, 27°25'54.11"S, 32°44'17.88"E; 46- 66 m. SAMC_A073142 (1 specimen): Eastern margin, 19 km south of Ponta Do Ouro / 12 km off Kosi-Kumpungwini (Sifungwe) Estuary, 27°01'05.87"S, 32°55'12.00"E; 78 m. SAMC_A073143 (1 specimen): Eastern margin, 38 km south of Ponta Do Ouro / 24 km off Kosi Bay Estuary, 27°11'24.00"S, 32°51'00.00"E; 100 m. SAMC_A073156 (1 specimen): Eastern margin, 39 km from Cape Vidal / 29 km off Mgobezeleni Estuary, 27°47'23.99"S, 32°38'53.87"E; 65- 70 m. SAMC_A073170 (31 specimen): Eastern margin, 39 km from Cape Vidal / 29 km off Mgobezeleni Estuary, 27°47'23.99"S, 32°38'53.87"E; 65- 70 m. SAMC_A073192 (1 specimen): Eastern margin, 69 km from Cape Vidal / 7 km off Mgobezeleni Estuary, 27°31'48.00"S, 32°42'47.99"E; 70 m. SAMC_A073193 (1 specimen): Eastern margin, 67 km from Cape Vidal / 6 km off Mgobezeleni Estuary, 27°32'30.11"S, 32°42'00.00"E; 48- 58 m. SAMC_A073205 (3 specimens): Eastern margin, 65 km from Cape Vidal / 7 km off Mgobezeleni Estuary, 27°33'47.88"S, 32°42'15.12"E; 64 m. SAMC_A073214 (30 specimens): Eastern margin, 37 km from Cape Vidal / 32 km off Mgobezeleni Estuary, 27°48'47.88"S, 32°38'53.87"E; 50 m. SAMC_A073218 (1 specimen): Eastern margin, 42 km south of Ponta Do Ouro / 27 km off Kosi Bay Estuary, 27°13'30.00"S, 32°49'30.00"E; 74 m. SAMC_A090117 (1 specimen): Eastern margin, 66 km from Cape Vidal / 7 km off Mgobezeleni Estuary, 27°33'11.88"S, 32°42'47.87"E; 85 m. SAMC_A090118 (2 specimens): Eastern margin, 59 km from Cape Vidal / 10 km off Mgobezeleni Estuary , 27°37'00.00"S, 32°40'54.00"E; depth unknown. SAM_H814 (21 specimen): Eastern margin, 19 km from Shaka's Rock / 3 km off Mdloti Estuary , 29°38'59.99"S, 31°07'59.99"E; depth unknown. USNM 90242 (1 specimen, sub-sample of SAMC_A073086): Eastern margin, 329 km from Port Edward / 330 km off Mtentu Estuary, 32°55'18.12"S, 32°55'18.12"E; 49 m. USNM 90426 (1 specimen): Eastern margin,, 41 km south of Ponta Do Ouro / 26 km off Kosi Bay Estuary, 27°13'00.11"S, 32°49'41.87"E; 72 m. USNM 90434 (5 specimens, sub-samples of SAMC_A073205): Eastern margin, 65 km from Cape Vidal / 7 km off Mgobezeleni Estuary, 27°33'47.88"S, 32°42'15.12"E; 64 m. USNM 90435 (1 specimen): Eastern margin, 67 km from Cape Vidal / 6 km off Mgobezeleni Estuary, 27°32'42.00"S, 32°42'29.88"E; 63 m. USNM 90439 (11 specimen): Eastern margin, 64 km from Cape Vidal / 7 km off Mgobezeleni Estuary, 27°34'12.00"S, 32°42'06.12"E; 62- 64 m.

Description.

Corallum solitary, encapsulating a gastropod shell, with one large efferent pore projecting downward from base of corallum, and several smaller pores on lower theca. Calice elliptical (GCD:LCD = 1.3-1.5); calicular margin lanceted. Largest specimen examined (SAMC_A073170) 11.4 × 9.1 mm in CD, and 13.1 mm in H. Upper theca highly porous and usually composed of discontinuous interconnected granular rows. Lower theca granular. Corallum white.

Septa hexamerally arranged in four complete cycles according to the formula: S1-2> S4> S3 (48 septa). S1-2 highly exsert, equally wide, with straight axial margins that fuse to columellar elements. S3 least exsert septa and bear serrate axial margins. S4 fuse to neighbouring septa near calicular margin forming well-developed and porous triangular lancets. In each half-system, a pair of S4 fuses before flanked S3 and reach columella as one septum. S4 upper axial margins highly concave becoming almost vertical after fusing to adjacent S4 near columella. Fossa of moderate depth, containing a spongy columella.

Distribution.

Regional: Eastern margin of South Africa, extending from off Port Edward towards Kosi-Kumpungwini (Sifungwe) Estuary (19 km south of Ponta Do Ouro: Mozambique); 17-100 m. Elsewhere: Widespread throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific (Veron and Pichon 1980; Hoeksema and Best 1991; Cairns 1999a); 6-622 m.

Remarks.

Heteropsammia cochlea is a symbiotic facultative species, known to be zooxanthellate or azooxanthellate in shallow waters and those found in deeper waters being azooxanthellate (Hoeksema and Mathews 2015). The variation in corallum type has resulted in a long standing discussion regarding the number of species represented within Heteropsammia . As such, two valid species are recogniszed ( H. cochlea and H. eupsammides (Gray, 1849)) on the basis of the number of calices (monostomous or polystomous) (Hoeksema and Best 1991; Hoeksema 1993). Whilst Cairns (2001) on the other hand, cautiously acknowledges three ( H. cochlea , H. eupsammides (Gray, 1849), and H. moretonensis Wells, 1964) in his generic revision of dendrophylliids. Irrespective of this, two species are represented in South Africa, and the differences between the two are elaborated in the account of H. eupsammides below. Zibrowius and Grygier (1985) have reported H. cochlea from the Great Barrier Reef and Somalia to host endoparasites of the ascothoracid crustacean Petrarca okadai , an observation not evident in the South African specimens examined. Additionally, specimens examined include zooxanthellate representatives (> 40 m) (Hoeksema and Best 2015) and should therefore not be considered in biodiversity assessments focusing on azooxanthellate forms.

Figures

Figure 9. A, B Dendrophyllia sp. 1 (SAMC _ A 090158, off Knysna, 333 m A close-up calicular view B lateral view C, G Ednapsammia columnapriva sp. nov. C, D (SAM _ H 1441, off Mossel Bay, 212 m) C calicular view D lateral view E-G (SAMC _ A 090159, off Gouritsmond, 333 m) E calicular view F lateral view G calicular view H Enallopsammia pusilla (DSCS-INV 238, off Gouritsmond, 333 m): lateral view. I, J Enallopsammia rostrata (SAMC _ A 073270, off Port St Johns, 200 m) I close up calicular view J lateral view K, L Endopachys grayi (DEFF _ NANSEN-INV 32, off Shaka's Rock, 185 m) K calicular view L lateral view M, N Endopsammia philippensis (DIIIb 1, off Durban, 442 m) M calicular view N lateral view O, P Heteropsammia cochlea (EIe 1, locality data unknown) O calicular view P lateral view. Scale bars: 10 mm (A-C, E-I, K-P); 100 mm (D, J).

Figure 10. A, B Heteropsammia cochlea (ORI _ EIe 1, locality data unknown) A calicular view B lateral view C, D Heteropsammia eupsammides (ZMK, locality data unknown) C calicular view D calicular view E-H Pourtalopsammia togata E, F (SAM _ H 2829, off East London, 146 - 238 m) E calicular view F lateral view G, H (SAM _ H 2831, off Cintsa, 159 m) G calicular view H lateral view I, J Rhizopsammia annae (SAM _ H 1497, off the Agulhas, depth unknown) I calicular view J lateral view K, L Rhizopsammia compacta (SAMC _ A 073041, off Kosi Bay Estuary, 69 m) K calicular view L lateral view M, N Rhizopsammia verrilli (SAM _ H 1502, off Richards Bay, 165 m) M calicular view N lateral view O Tubastraea coccinea (ORI _ EIb 4, Isipingo; depth unknown) P Tubastraea sp. cf. Tubastraea diaphana (SAM _ H 5103, Cape Vidal, 59 m): Calicular view. Scale bars: 10 mm.