Bebryce studeri Whitelegge, 1897

Matsumoto, Asako K. & van Ofwegen, Leen P., 2016, The genus Bebryce (Cnidaria, Octocorallia, Plexauridae) at Japan, with descriptions of three new species, ZooKeys 587, pp. 1-20 : 6-8

Taxon classification Animalia Alcyonacea Plexauridae

Bebryce studeri Whitelegge, 1897 Figures 1, 11

Material examined.

AKM1280, off Kerama Is., Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, East China Sea, 26°04.59'N, 127°27.70'E - 26°04.56'N, 127°27.95'E, depth range 153-160 m, RV Tansei-maru, KT08-33 cruise (Oji leg), KR-7, chain bag dredge, coll. A.K. Matsumoto, 16 December 2008; UMUTZ-Cnid G103, coral ground, Uji Is., Satsuma, Kanogshima Prefecture, Japan, depth ca. 80 fms (114-121 m), coll. K. Kinoshita, June 1908.

Diagnosis.

Bebryce with rosettes with warty, rounded, or bristle-like projections. Those of calycular margin asymmetrically developed, with weakly developed projecting blade. Coenenchymal sclerites are warty disks.

Remarks.

This is the first record of this species for Japan, where it is limited to the South of Japan, East China Sea. The depth record of previous studies is 23-113 m, from Funafuti, New Caledonia, Indonesia, Philippines, and Papua New Guinea ( Bayer and Ofwegen 2016). This study recorded a deeper depth range, namely 114-160 m.