Muricea californica Aurivillius, 1931

Breedy, Odalisca & Guzman, Hector M., 2016, A revision of the genus Muricea Lamouroux, 1821 (Anthozoa, Octocorallia) in the eastern Pacific. Part II, ZooKeys 581, pp. 1-69 : 30-31

Taxon classification Animalia Alcyonacea Plexauridae

Muricea californica Aurivillius, 1931 Figures 20, 21

Muricea californica Aurivillius, 1931: 111-114; Harden 1979: 144-145; Hardee and Wicksten 1996: 130-132.

Material.

Lectotype. USA: SMNH 1122, ethanol preserved, Santa Catalina, California, 18-27.4 m, Leg. G. Eisen, 1874.

Description.

The lectotype is a bushy colony 5.6 cm tall and 7.8 cm wide. Two main branches, diameter 4.6-5 mm, arise from an oval holdfast, 1.38 cm in diameter (Fig. 20A). Branches are cylindrical, mostly in one plane, subdividing, and curving upwards parallel to the main branches. They are about 3-3.2 mm in diameter, of even thickness at the ends. Branching is lateral and irregularly dichotomous, dividing up to 8 times. Unbranched terminal ends are 0.5-2.8 mm long. The axis is amber at the base and lighter at tips. Calyces are closely set all around the branches, more distantly placed at the base of the colony and the holdfast. The calyces are elongate, 1.1-1.9 long and about 0.9-1.0 mm wide (up to 1.4 wide after Aurivillius 1931), extending upwards and slightly imbricate (Fig. 20B). The outer side of the calyces (abaxial) with numerous imbricate sclerites, and the adaxial with very few. Polyps are white (Fig. 20B). The coenenchyme is thin, composed of reddish-orange and light yellow to amber sclerites (Fig. 20 C–D). Coenenchymal and calycular sclerites are mostly reddish-orange and amber leaf-like spindles, 0.19-0.54 mm long and 0.08-0.2 mm wide (Fig. 21A), and elongated spindles, 0.24-0.34 mm long and 0.07-0.09 mm wide (Fig. 21B). Aurivillius (1931) reported larger sclerite sizes in other specimens, up to 0.66 mm long and 0.3 mm wide, but we did not find this size either in the lectotype or in the other samples. The axial sheath is composed of spindles, with single or composed tubercles, and star-like radiates, 0.12-0.34 mm long and 0.07-0.13 mm wide (Fig. 21C), and small radiates and spindles 0.10-0.16 mm long and 0.05-0.07 mm wide (Fig. 21D). Anthocodial sclerites are lobed and warty rods, 0.08-0.23 mm long and 0.017-0.06 mm wide, light orange.

Colour of the colony is reddish orange.

Habitat and variability.

Hardee and Wicksten (1996) found colonies of Muricea californica with white polyps on one set of branches and yellow polyps on the other branches. They reported that most of the colonies in Catalina Island area have orange and yellow polyps instead of white. Most of the colonies were fan-shaped but they found some shrubby ones. Grigg (1972) observed that the branch diameter of Muricea californica could vary according to exposure to current flow.

According to Hardee and Wicksten (1996) colonies of Muricea californica were found living at the lowest intertidal level on the Los Angeles Harbor Breakwater at San Pedro reaching down to 30 m along Santa Catalina Island. The colonies were found on granite and other hard rocks, shale reefs, pilings or attached to shells. Grigg (1972, 1977) reported the coexistence of Muricea fruticosa and Muricea californica off La Jolla, California. He reported that Muricea californica grew exposed on outer surfaces on rocks and hole borders while Muricea fruticosa was in the interior of holes or growing on the lower surface of overhangs. We have observed the same type of habitat for Muricea fruticosa in the Galápagos Islands, Panamá and Costa Rica, but we have not observed Muricea californica in these southern areas.

Distribution.

South of point Conception, California to Santa María, Baja California, Mexico ( Grigg 1977); Santa Catalina, California ( Aurivillius 1931, Hardee and Wicksten 1996); Isla Tiburón, Kino Bay, Sonora, Mexico (J.L. Carballo, pers. comm.).

Remarks.

The species was originally described by Aurivillius (1931) with two specimens from Santa Catalina, California. He made reference to other analysed material and provided a general diagnosis but he did not designate a holotype. The specimen SMNH 1122 is herein designated as the lectotype of Muricea californica in order to clearly establish the taxonomic status of the species.

Other material revised.

MÉXICO: Geoff1, dry, Baja California, Geoff Shester, 2007. Gorgonia 11, dry, Isla Tiburón, San Carlos Bay, Sonora, 5-25 m, J.L. Carballo, 27 April 2001. PANAMÁ: BM 30.6.17.18 (fragment), (erroneously identified as Muricea hebes ), ethanol preserved, off Panamá, low tide, St. George, Scientific Expedition, Pacific Cruise, C. Crossland, 1923-1924.