Javania insignis Duncan, 1876

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

Javania insignis Duncan, 1876

Fig. 12A, B

Javania insignis Duncan, 1876: 435, pl. 39, figs 11-13. -von Marenzeller 1907: 23, pl. 2, fig. 6. - Yabe and Eguchi 1932e: 388. - Zibrowius 1974c: 8-9, pl. 1, figs 1-6. -Scheer and Pillai 1983: 165-166, pl. 37, figs 9-12. -Cairns 1984: 23, pl. 4, figs F-H. - Cairns 1989a: 77-78, pl. 40, figs D-E, G-H, J-K. -Cairns 1994: 80, pl. 34, figs I-K. - Cairns and Keller 1993: 272. -Tachikawa 2005: 10, pl. 4, figs C-D. - Cairns and Zibrowius 1997: 163-164. - Cairns et al. 1999: 31. -Cairns 2004a: 304. - Cairns 2004b: 8. - Cairns 2009: 20. - Kitahara and Cairns 2021: 214-215, figs 103, 108D-F.

Flabellum weberi Alcock, 1902a: 107. 94.

Desmophyllum cf. insigne . - Yabe and Eguchi 1942b: 115, pl. 9, figs 5, 6.

Desmophyllum insignis . - Eguchi 1965a: 290. - Eguchi 1968: C41-C42, pl. C9, figs 4-9. - Song 1982: 136, pl. 2, figs 5, 6.

Flabellum rubrum . - Boshoff 1981: 35.

Type locality.

Off Owase, Japan (34°13'00'N, 136°13'00'E); 88 m (Cairns 1994).

Type material.

The holotype is deposited at the NHMUK (Cairns 1994).

Material examined.

DEFF_CCS2D17-INV116 (1 specimen): Western margin, 53 km from Saldanha / 80 km off Berg River V Estuary, 33°06'35.77"S, 17°23'01.26"E; 410 m. ORI_DIIb5 (1 specimen): Southern margin, other locality data unknown. SAMC_A073082 (2 specimens): Eastern margin, 31 km from Richards Bay / 46 km off Mlalazi Estuary, 29°00'54.00"S, 32°15'35.99"E; 500 m. SAMC_A073083 (1 specimen): Eastern margin, 28 km from Richards Bay / 40 km off Mlalazi Estuary, 29°00'54.00"S, 32°12'06.12"E; 215 m. SAMC_A073096 (3 specimens): Locality data unknown. SAMC_ A73218 (1 specimen): Eastern margin, 42 km south of Ponta Do Ouro / 27 km from Kosi Bay Estuary, 27°13'30.00"S, 32°49'30.00"E; 74 m. SAMC_ A90116 (1 specimen): Eastern margin, 33 km from Port Dunford / 37 km from Mlalazi Estuary, 29°08'59.99"S, 32°05'24.00"E; 85 m.

Description.

Corallum ceratoid, robust, expanding into a flared calice, and attached through a slender reinforced pedicel, which expands into an encrusting base. Calice elliptical (GCD:LCD = 1.40-1.70), with a thick and jagged calicular margin. Largest specimen examined (SAMC_A90116) 25.6 × 15.9 mm in CD, and 25.5 mm in H. Theca robust and smooth. C1-3 restricted to upper 1/3 of coralla. Corallum white.

Septa hexamerally arranged in five cycles according to the formula: S1> S2> S3> S4> S5 (96 septa). S1 most exsert, with straight and vertical axial margin. S2 smaller, slightly less exsert than S1, and have slightly sinuous axial margin. S3 as exsert as S2 but only ½ the width of S2. S3 axial edge as sinuous as that from S2. S4 non-exsert, ¼ the size of S3, and bear moderately sinuous axial margin. S5 rudimentary, but have the most sinuous axial margin. All septal faces finely granulated with blunt spines. Fossa deep.

Distribution.

Regional: Eastern margin of South Africa, off Richards Bay extending towards Kosi Bay Estuary (42 km south of Ponta Do Ouro: Mozambique); 74-500 m. Elsewhere: Mozambique; Madagascar ( Cairns and Keller 1993); Red Sea (von Marenzeller 1907); Reunion ( Zibrowius and Grygier 1985); Hawaiian Islands (Cairns 1984); Japan ( Cairns 1989b); Philippines; Indonesia ( Cairns and Zibrowius 1997); New Caledonia ( Kitahara and Cairns 2021); 46-1050 m.

Remarks.

Javania insignis was first collected off the South African margin through the UCT Ecological Survey, but identified as Flabellum rubrum (ORI_ DIIb5) by Boshoff (1981). Subsequently, Cairns and Keller (1993) reported on the occurrence of this species within the region and their account, therefore, represents the first reliable record of J. insignis within South African territory. Javania insignis is compared with J. Javania antarctica in the species account above.

Figures

Figure 12. A, B Javania insignis (SAMC _ A 090116, off Port Dunford, 85 m) A calicular view B lateral view C, D Placotrochides scaphula (USNM 91772, off Scottburgh, 1360 m) C calicular view D calicular view E, H Rhizotrochus typus E, F (SAMC _ A 090094, off Coffee Bay, 160 m) E calicular view F lateral view G, H (SCD 39 B, off Coffee Bay, 160 m) G calicular view H lateral view I, J Truncatoflabellum formosum (SAM _ H 1389, off Shaka's Rock, 183 m) I calicular view J lateral view K, L Truncatoflabellum gardineri (SAM _ H 3847, off Shaka's Rock, 138 m) K calicular view L lateral view M, N Truncatoflabellum inconstans (SAM _ H 1241, off Kei Mouth, 66 m) M calicular view N lateral view O, P Truncatoflabellum multispinosum (SAMC _ A 087450, locality data unknown) O calicular view P lateral view. Scale bars: 10 mm.