Desmophyllum dianthus (Esper, 1794)

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

Desmophyllum dianthus (Esper, 1794)

Fig. 3G-J

Madrepora dianthus Esper, 1794: pl. 69, figs 1-3. -Esper 1795: 85-86. - Scheer 1990: 406.

Desmophyllum cristagalli Milne-Edwards & Haime, 1848a: 253, pl. 7, figs 10, 10a. - Milne-Edwards and Haime 1857: 76. - Duncan 1873: 321. - Pourtalès 1878: 203 (in part: Blake Stn. 2). - Pourtalès 1880: 96, 106 (in part: BL-288). -Verrill 1885: 150. - Agassiz 1888: 151. - Alcock 1902c: 28. -von Marenzeller 1904a: 267-268, pl. 15, fig. 2A-B. -Vaughan 1907: 67, pl. 7, figs 3, 3A-B. - Verrill 1908: 494. -Stephens 1909: 25. - Döderlein 1913: 126, pl. 8, figs 45, 45A. - Gravier 1920: 72-76 (in part), pl. 8, figs 130-135. - Gardiner 1929: 125-126. - Zibrowius 1974a: 758-761, pl. 3, figs 1-10. -Zibrowius et al. 1975: 98, pl. 4, fig. A-B. -Zibrowius and Grieshaber 1977: 379. - Zibrowius 1978: 535. -Zibrowius 1979: 19, pl. 1, figs 5-6. - Cairns 1979: 117-119, pl. 21, figs 7-8, pl. 22, fig. 8. - Zibrowius 1980: 117-121, pl. 61, figs A-O, pl. 62, figs A-M. - Cairns 1981: 10. - Cairns 1982: 29, pl. 8, figs 9-12, pl. 9, figs 1-3. - Zibrowius 1988: 136. - Zibrowius and Gili 1990: 35-36. - Cairns 1991: 17, pl. 6, figs G-I. -Cairns and Parker 1992: 28-29, fig. 8B-C. -Tyler and Zibrowius 1992: 227. - Cairns and Keller 1993: 246.

Desmophyllum capense Gardiner, 1904: 96-97. - Gardiner 1939: 329-330. - Wells 1958: 262. - Cairns 1979: 206.

Desmophyllum capensis . - Squires 1961: 23, fig. 5.

Desmophyllum dianthus . -Ehrenberg 1834: 299-300. -Milne-Edwards and Haime 1848a: 254-255. - Milne-Edwards and Haime 1857: 77-78. - Yabe and Eguchi 1942b: 113-114, pl. 9, figs 1-3. - Eguchi 1965a: 290. -Cairns 1994 a: 26-27, pl. 9, figs 9A-D. - Cairns 1995: 77, pl. 21, figs D-F. - Cairns and Zibrowius 1997: 131, fig. 17G-H. - Cairns 1998: 385-386. - Cairns 1999a: 104-105. - Cairns et al. 1999: 22. -Stolarski 2003: 508, fig. 7A-G. -Cairns 2004a: 281. - Cairns 2006: 47. -Kitahara 2007: 502, 503, fig. 3K-L. -Pires 2007: 269. - Cairns 2009: 13. - Kitahara and Cairns 2021: 520-523, figs 284D-E, 289.

Type Locality.

Sagami Bay, Japan, depth unknown (Cairns 2004a).

Type material.

The neotype is deposited at the NMNH (Cairns 1994 a).

Material examined.

SAMC_A072968 (2 specimens): no locality data. SAMC_A072974 (2 specimens): Western margin, 168 km off Paternoster / 173 km off Brak Estuary, 32°05'41.99"S, 16°19'47.99"E; 440 m. SAMC_A073013 (2 specimens): Eastern margin, 34 km from Coffee Bay / 18 km off Ntlonyane Estuary, 32°17'23.99"S, 29°05'35.87"E; 340- 450 m. SAMC_A073015 (2 specimens): Southern margin, 32 km from Mazeppa Bay / 19 km off Mendu Estuary, 32°25'00.11"S, 28°58'18.11"E; 330- 340 m. SAMC_A073263 (1 specimen): Eastern margin, Wright Canyon; 171 m. SAMC_A088918 (3 specimens): Southern margin, 23 km from Plettenberg Bay / 25 km off Piesang Estuary, 34°16'15.60"S, 23°24'50.40"E; 95 m. SAMC_A088919 (2 specimens): Southern margin, 172 km from Agulhas / 182 km off De Mond-Heuningnes Estuary, 36°20'22.20"S, 20°24'06.11"E; 166 m. SAMC_A088929 (1 specimen): Southern margin, 140 km off Agulhas / 144 km Ratels off Bulura Estuary, 36°02'29.58"S, 19°41'24.61"E; 445- 463 m. SAMC_A090122 (1 specimen): Eastern margin, 15 km south of Ponta Do Ouro / 17 km off Kosi-Kumpungwini (Sifungwe) Estuary, 26°55'30.00"S, 33°01'05.88"E; 370 m. SAM_A090128 (1 specimen): Western margin, 46 km from Paternoster / 71 km off Berg River V Estuary Estuary, 32°56'32.93"S, 17°25'14.16"E; 325 m. SAM_A090130 (1 specimen): Western margin, 147 km from Groen River / 144 km off Brak Estuary, 31°40'45.59"S, 16°23'07.80"E; 360 m. SAM_A090131 (1 specimen): Southern margin, 74 km from Agulhas / 79 km off Ratels Estuary, 35°27'43.79"S, 19°51'20.99"E; 154 m. SAM_A090132 (1 specimen): Western margin, 86 km from Hondeklipbaai / 84 km off Spoeg Estuary, 30°47'55.25"S, 16°34'37.98"E; 235 m. SAM_A090133 (1 specimen): Western margin, 113 km from Groen River / 114 km off Groen Estuary, 31°13'55.85"S, 16°34'37.98"E; 310 m. SAM_A090134 (1 specimen): Western margin, 195 km from Port Nolloth / 194 km off Buffels Estuary, 30°04'07.79"S, 15°05'26.69"E; 393 m. SAM_A090135 (1 specimen): Western margin, 165 km from Port Nolloth / 165 km off Holgat Estuary, 29°45'08.82"S, 15°16'20.22"E; 183 m. SAMC_A090151 (1 specimen): Southern margin, 116 km from Knysna / off Goukamma Estuary, 35°07'11.27"S, 23°02'41.91"E; 333 m. SAM_H1475 (1 specimen): Western margin, 3 km from Pringle Bay / 6 km off Buffels Oos Estuary, 34°23'11.29"S, 18°49'49.39"E; 80 m. SAM_H3049 (2 specimens): Eastern margin, 20 km off Cape Vidal / 23 km off St Lucia Estuary, 27°59'30.00"S, 32°40'47.99"E; 550 m. SAM_H3050 (1 specimen): Eastern margin, 16 km from Margate /off Boboyi Estuary, 30°52'59.99"S, 30°31'00.00"E; 850 m.

Imagery data.

BMNH 1939.7.20.218 (2 specimens), MCZ (1 specimen): locality data unknown. SS ‘Pickle’ stn. 1480 (1 specimen): Western margin, off Hout Bay; 131 m.

Description.

Corallum variable, ranging from serpentine to ceratoid, attached to substrate by a pedicel (PD:GCD = 0.3-0.8) that expands into an encrusting base. Calice elliptical (GCD:LCD = 1.1-2.5), calicular margin serrate. Largest specimen examined (SAMC_A088919) 57.4 × 22.8 mm in CD, 30.0 mm in PD, and 119.3 mm in H. Theca granular. Costae more prominent near calicular margin, disappearing towards base. Corallum white to beige.

Septa hexamerally arranged in five complete cycles according to formula: S1-2 > S3 > S4 > S5 (96 septa). S1-2 most exsert, extend furthest to fossa (sometimes almost meeting opposite septa), with vertical and straight axial margins. S3 half as exsert and ⅓ smaller than S1-2, also with vertical and straight axial margin. S4 least exsert septa and 4/5 the size of S3, with straight to slightly sinuous axial margin. S5 more exsert than S4 and fuses to adjacent S1-3 at calicular margin. S5 ~ 1/2 the width of S4, with straight upper axial margins that become sinuous deeper in fossa. Fossa deep, columellar absent.

Distribution.

Regional: Western to eastern margin of South Africa, off Lambert’s Bay extending towards Kosi-Kumpungwini (Sifungwe) Estuary (15 km south of Ponta Do Ouro: Mozambique); 80-850 m. Elsewhere: Cosmopolitan except from continental Antarctica and Boreal Pacific (Cairns 1994 a); 8-2460 m.

Remarks.

Desmophyllum dianthus is the most well-studied azooxanthellate solitary coral. The species was first reported in South Africa by Gardiner (1904) sample SAM_H1475 off Cape Hangklip (False Bay area) at 80 m deep.

Figures

Figure 3. A, B Caryophyllia (Caryophyllia) stellula (SAM _ H 1485, off Agulhas, 200 m) A calicular view B lateral view C, D Caryophyllia (Caryophyllia) valdiviae (SAM _ H 3108, off Durban, depth unknown) C calicular view D lateral view E, F Crispatotrochus cornu (UCT _ NAD 17 F, off Isipingo, 49 m) E calicular view F lateral view G, J Desmophyllum dianthus G, H (SAMC _ A 077974, off Paternoster, 440 m) G calicular view H lateral view I, J (BMNH. 1939.7.20.218, locality data unknown) I calicular view J lateral view K, L Desmophyllum pertusum (SAM _ H 1605, off Melkbosstrand, depth unknown) K calicular view L lateral view M, N Goniocorella dumosa (SAM _ H 3190, off Kidds Beach, 760 m) M calicular view N lateral view O, P Heterocyathus aequicostatus (SAMC _ A 073186, off Durban, 150 m) O calicular view P lateral view Scale bars: 10 mm (A-I, K-P); 100 mm (J).