Stylobates Dall, 1903

Crowther, Andrea L., Fautin, Daphne G. & Wallace, Carden C., 2011, Stylobates birtlesi sp. n., a new species of carcinoecium-forming sea anemone (Cnidaria, Actiniaria, Actiniidae) from eastern Australia, ZooKeys 89, pp. 33-48 : 34

Genus Stylobates Dall, 1903

Stylobates Dall, 1903: p. 62

Isadamsia Carlgren, 1928a: p. 167

General

Because Dall (1903) had been under the impression that the carcinoecium upon which he based his description was that of a gastropod, the first description of the anemone was by Carlgren (1928a) for Isadamsia cancrisocia from the east coast of Africa. Carlgren (1928a, 1949) is the only person to have defined the genus, and his definition was based on the single species he knew. We update the definition of Stylobates to incorporate information from all four known species.

Deep-sea Actiniidae with very wide pedal disc that covers a gastropod shell inhabited by a hermit crab. Anemone pedal disc secretes carcinoecium. Column smooth, thin-walled. Marginal sphincter muscle endodermal, circumscribed, palmate or pinnate. Tentacles hexamerously arranged; fewer than mesenteries at base. Longitudinal muscles of tentacles and radial muscles of oral disc ectodermal. Mesenteries of 5-6 orders; those of lowest orders complete and sterile, those of highest orders incomplete and fertile. Retractor muscles weak, diffuse; parietobasilar and basilar muscles distinct.

Type species (by monotypy):

Stylobates aeneus Dall, 1903.