Dendrophyllia cladonia van der Horst, 1927

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

Dendrophyllia cladonia van der Horst, 1927

Fig. 8I, J.

Dendrophyllia cladonia van der Horst, 1927: 3-4, pl. 1, figs 5, 6, pl. 2, fig. 7. - Zibrowius and Gili 1990: 44. - Cairns and Keller 1993: 279. - Cairns 2001: 34.

Type locality.

Off Port Shepstone (?), South Africa (RV 'Pieter Faure’ at ca. 30°44'15.3"S, 30°27'35.0"E); 457 m ( van der Horst 1927).

Type material.

Type specimen is possibly deposited at the NHMUK (GBIF 2020).

Material examine.

DEFF_BD13-INV 03 (6 fragments): Southern margin, 25 km from Cintsa Mouth/off Bulura Estuary, 32°58'59.08"S, 28°19'10.82"E; 104 m. DEFF/SAEON_ D00491 (1 fragment): Southern margin, 138 km from Agulhas / 145 km off De Mond-Heuningnes Estuary, 35°54'16.19"S, 20°45'46.19"E; 135 m. DEFF/SAEON_ D00584 (1 fragment): Southern margin, 56 km from Knysna / 57 km off Goukamma Estuary, 34°34'32.40"S, 23°06'04.20"E; 111 m. DEFF/SEAON_ D00829 (1 fragment): Southern margin, 153 from Agulhas / 157 km off De Mond-Heuningnes Estuary, 35°51'57.60"S, 21°07'14.87"E; 122 m. DEFF/SAEON_ D00832 (1 fragment): Southern margin, 171 km from Stilbaai / 172 km off Goukou Estuary, 35°54'51.47"S, 21°42'48.59"E; 165 m. DEFF/SAEON_ D00851 (1 fragment): Southern margin, 50 km from Agulhas / 55 km off De Mond-Heuningnes Estuary, 35°08'14.27"S, 20°24'55.08"E; 113 m. SAMC_A073012 (1 fragment): Eastern margin, 10 km from Port Edward / 27 km off Bilanhlolo Estuary, 31°06'46.79"S, 30°17'48.12"E; 120- 125 m. SAMC_A073015 (2 fragments): 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_A073028 (4 fragments): Eastern margin, 26 km from Cape Vidal/ 25 km off St Lucia Estuary, 27°54'18.00"S, 32°37'59.87"E; 105 m. SAMC_A073042 (1 fragments): Eastern margin, 53 km from Shaka’s Rock/ 46 km off Zinkwasi Estuary, 29°32'53.88"S, 31°47'12.11"E; 200 m. SAMC_A073046 (10 fragments): Eastern margin, 9 km from Port Edward / 9 km off Blinde Estuary, 31°05'23.99"S, 30°18'00.00"E; 125 m. SAMC_A073057 (1 fragment): Eastern margin, 6 km from Cape Vidal/ 17 km off St Lucia Estuary, 28°08'17.88"S, 32°36'54.00"E; 200 m. SAMC_A073076 (1 fragment): Locality unknown. SAMC_A073165 (1 fragment): Eastern margin, 28 km south of Ponta Do Ouro / 17 km off Kosi Bay Estuary, 27°06'18.00"S, 32°52'00.12"E; 50 m. SAMC_A073212 (4 fragment): Eastern margin, 5 km from Cape Vidal/ 16 km off St Lucia Estuary, 28°07'05.88"S, 32°36'35.99"E; 145 m. SAM_H1362 (1 fragment): Southern margin, 28 km from Port Alfred / 3 km off Old Woman’s Estuary, 33°30'00.00"S, 27°08'59.99"E; 90 m. SAM_H1412 (6 fragments): Eastern margin, 2 km from Port Shepstone / Mzimkulu Estuary, 30°44'14.23"S, 30°27'34.72"E; depth unknown. SAM_H1445 (1 fragment): Southern margin, 4 km from Plettenberg Bay / 7 km off Piesang Estuary, 34°06'00.00"S, 23°23'59.99"E; 146 m. SAM_H1447 (1 fragment): Eastern margin, 38 km from St. Lucia / 31 km off Nhlabane Estuary, 28°40'59.99"S, 32°34'00.00"E; 73 m. SAM_H1513 (1 fragment): Southern margin, 68 km from Kidds Beach/off Gouda Estuary, 33°36'00.00"S, 28°10'59.99"E; 174 m. SAM_H2833 (1 fragment): Southern margin, 25 km from Gonubie/ 24 km off Gqunube Estuary, 33°06'17.99"S, 28°10'59.99"E; 155 m. SAM_H3042 (1 fragment) Southern margin, 28 km from Port Alfred / 3 km off Old Woman’s Estuary, 33°30'00.00"S, 27°08'59.99"E; 93 m. SAM_H3058 (1 fragment): Southern margin, 9 km from Pringle Bay / 7 km off Buffels Oos Estuary, 34°17'30.00"S, 18°48'00.00"E; 33 m. SAM_H3064 (1 fragment): Southern margin, 18 km from Cape Padrone/ 30 km off Boknes Estuary, 33°49'00.00"S, 26°16'59.99"E; 65 m. SAM_H3413 (1 fragment): Southern margin, 18 km from Gansbaai/ 38 km off Ratels Estuary, 34°44'12.00"S, 19°25'36.00"E; 70- 50 m. SAM_H3838 (1 fragment): Eastern margin, 7 km from Port Shepstone /off Boboyi Estuary, 30°48'00.00"S, 30°29'05.99"E; depth unknown. USNM 91823 (48 fragments): Eastern margin, 26 km from Port St. Johns /off Bulolo Estuary, 29°34'47.99"S, 31°41'59.99"E; 138 m. USNM 91825 (7 fragments): Eastern margin, 35 km from Port Dunford / 38 km off Mlalazi Estuary, 29°10'00.00"S, 32°04'59.99"E; 168 m.

Description.

Colony with axial corallite reaching ≤ 93.5 mm. Primary corallite elongate, cylindrical, and firmly attached to substrate through a robust pedicel (PD:GCD = 1.2-1.5). Secondary corallites ceratoid/trochoid to cylindrical. Calice slightly circular to elliptical (GCD:LCD = 1.0-1.3); calicular margin lanceted. Largest corallite examined (axial) 11.1 × 10.7 mm in CD, 17.0 mm in PD, and 93.5 mm in H. Costae conspicuous throughout corallum, broad, equal in width, flat, slightly porous, and granular. Intercostal furrows shallow and quite porous. Corallum white.

Septa hexamerally arranged in four complete cycles according to the formula: S1 ≥ S2> S4> S3 (48 septa). S1 independent and reach columella with vertical and straight axial margins. S2 also independent, and as wide to only slightly smaller than S1. S2 axial margins also vertical and straight. S3 smallest septa, and bear dentate to laciniate axial margins. S4 arranged in a Pourtalès plan: in each system the S4 neighbouring S1 fuses before S2, before meeting columella. S4 also have dentate to laciniate axial margins. Septal faces finely granular. Fossa deep, containing a massive spongy columella.

Distribution.

Regional: Southern and Eastern margin of South Africa, off Gansbaai extending towards Kosi Bay Estuary (276 km south of Ponta Do Ouro: Mozambique); 33-340 m. Elsewhere: Mozambique ( Cairns and Keller 1993); 49-457 m.

Remarks.

As in Dendrophyllia arbuscula , D. cladonia belongs to the second Dendrophyllia group ( Cairns 2001), which form small and bushy colonies originating from an axial corallite and with relatively few additional corallites to the primary. Dendrophyllia cladonia may be distinguished by its Pourtalès plan arrangement, whereby S4 adjacent to S1 are wider than S4 neighbouring S2, and merge towards S2 before joining the columella ( Cairns and Keller 1993), and by its smaller axial corallite GCD (<9 mm). Under-developed D. cladonia may be confused with Balanophyllia capensis but can be differentiated by having S4> S3 (S3> S4 in B. capensis ). Apart from the septal arrangement, D. cladonia can further be distinguished by its S4 merging towards S2, and have a more robust pedicel. Although the calicular margin of D. cladonia is rarely intact, making it difficult to evaluate septa exsertness, the arrangement of septa assists in distinguishing species from both D. arbuscula and B. capensis (as highlighted above).

Figures

Figure 8. A, B Balanophyllia (Balanophyllia) diffusa A (USNM 91782, off Port St. Johns, 138 m) calicular view B (USNM 91780, off Kosi Bay Estuary, 74 m) calicular view C, D Balanophyllia (Balanophyllia Balanophyllia) sp. cf. Balanophyllia Balanophyllia malouinensis C (SAM _ H 3069, off East London, 146 - 238 m) calicular view D (SAM _ H 3068, off Mazeppa Bay, 174 m) lateral view E, F Balanophyllia (Eupsammia) stimpsonii (SAM _ H 3831, off Cape Point, 97 - 99 m) E calicular view F lateral view G, H Dendrophyllia arbuscula (SAMC _ A 073119, off Cape Vidal, 65 - 70 m) G calicular view H lateral view I, J Dendrophyllia cladonia I (SAM _ H 1445, off Plettenberg Bay, 146 m) calicular view J (SAM _ H 2833, off Gonubie, 155 m) lateral view K, L Dendrophyllia cornigera K (USNM 91827, off Durban, 232 m) calicular view L (SAM _ H 3841, off Pringle Bay, depth unknown) lateral view M, N Dendrophyllia dilatata (SAMC _ A 073016, off Richards Bay, 500 m) M calicular view N lateral view O, P Dendrophyllia ijimai O (USNM 91844, off Shaka's Rock, 68 - 70 m) calicular view P (SAMC _ A 090121, off Port Dunford, 85 m) lateral view. Scale bars: 10 mm (A - I, K, M, O); 100 mm (J, L, N, P).