Balanophyllia dilatata Dennant, 1904

Cairns, S. D., 2004, The Azooxanthellate Scleractinia (Coelenterata: Anthozoa) of Australia, Records of the Australian Museum 56, pp. 259-329 : 312

Balanophyllia dilatata Dennant, 1904

Figs. 11F–H

Balanophyllia dilatata Dennant, 1904: 10 , pl. 1, figs. 2a,b (Vic).– Wells, 1964: 114 (listed).– Veron, 1986: 586 (listed).–Cairns & Parker, 1992: 51 (incorrect synonymy).– Stranks, 1993: 21 (type deposition).

New records. None.

Types. Two syntypes are deposited at NMV ( F41512 ). Type Locality: Port Phillip Bay , Victoria, depth unknown, although its attachment to an alga indicates a shallow habitat .

Remarks. Cairns & Parker (1992) implied that B. dilatata may be a junior synonym of B. dentata Tenison-Woods, 1878 , although at that time the type of the former was not available for study. The types of both species have now been compared, and, although the specimens are similar, B. dilatata differs from B. dentata in having a slightly different arrangement of its S4. In B. dentata , each S4 of a pair is roughly of the same width, meet on the axial side of the S3, and proceed directly toward the columella as a fused septum, whereas in B. dilatata the S 4 in each pair are unequal in width, the S4 adjacent to the S1 being dominant, and, once fused, continue toward the columella in an oblique fashion, tending to curve toward the adjacent S2.