Truncatoflabellum inconstans (Marenzeller, 1904)

Cairns, Stephen D., 2016, A key to the genera and species of the transversely-dividing Flabellidae (Anthozoa, Scleractinia, Flabellidae), with a guide to the literature, and the description of two new species, ZooKeys 562, pp. 1-48 : 20

Taxon classification Animalia Scleractinia Flabellidae

Truncatoflabellum inconstans (Marenzeller, 1904) Fig. 9D

Flabellum inconstans Marenzeller, 1904: 277-280, pl. 17, fig. 11 a–h.- Boshoff 1981: 34-35.

Flabellum harmeri : Boshoff 1981: 35 (in part).

Truncatoflabellum inconstans : Cairns 1989b: 61.- Zibrowius and Gili 1990: 39 (comparison to other species).- Cairns and Keller 1993: 220 (listed).

Additional record.

AFR 985c, 34°47'S, 20°19'E, 80 m, 5.4.1948, 1, SAM.

Distribution.

Known only from off southern South Africa, 23-130 m.

Remarks.

It is tempting to include Zibrowius and Gili’s (1990) Truncatoflabellum sp. A form Walvis Ridge (1152 m) as an aberrant Truncatoflabellum inconstans , but as they say, their unique specimen has many fewer septa, a smaller basal scar, and is found much deeper than typical Truncatoflabellum inconstans . Their unidentified specimen is thus not assigned to a species.

Very rarely a pair of very small basal thecal spines may be present, but the species is considered to lack spines for the purpose of the key.