Ednapsammia Filander, 2021

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

Ednapsammia Filander gen. nov.

Diagnosis.

Colony dendroid with sympodial branching, all achieved by extra-tentacular budding (frequently from theca of a parent corallite at an acute angle). Thin epitheca present. Septa normally arranged and granular. Columella absent. Endothecal dissepiments present.

Type species.

Ednapsammia columnapriva Filander, 2020, by original designation.

Etymology.

The genus name Ednapsammia is to honour the late Dr Edna Molewa, who was instrumental for the declaration of the offshore Phakisa Marine Protected Areas in South Africa. Gender: feminine.

Remarks.

Ednapsammia gen. nov. closely resembles Dendrophyllia in having a dendroid colony formed from sympodially arranged branches and well-developed costae. However, it can be differentiated in lacking a Pourtalès plan and columella. Ednapsammia gen. nov. is also morphologically similar to Atlantia López & Capel, 2020, a genus that has dendroid to phaceloid colonies and normally arranged septa, but differs in the presence of a thin epitheca, porosity being prevalent near calicular margin, and lacking a columella.