Goniocorella dumosa (Alcock, 1902)

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

Goniocorella dumosa (Alcock, 1902)

Fig. 3M, N

Pourtalosmilia dumosa Alcock, 1902c: 36-37, pl. 5, fig. 33.

Goniocorella dumosa . - Yabe and Eguchi 1932a: 389-390. -Eguchi 1965b: 291, 2 figs. - Cairns 1982: 31-34, pl. 9, figs 7-9, pl. 10, figs 1, 2. - Cairns and Keller 1993: 250. fig. 6E. - Cairns 1995: 80-81, pl. 22, figs E, F.

Type locality.

Banda Sea, Indonesia (HMS ‘Siboga’ stns. 156 and 259: 0°29'02.00"S, 130°05'03.00"E and 5°29'02.00"S, 132°52'05.00"E, respectively); 469-487 m ( Alcock 1902c).

Type material.

The syntypes are deposited at the ZMA (Cairns 1994 a).

Material examined.

SAMC_A088913 (1 fragment): Southern margin, 110 km from Oubosstrand /off Tsitsikamma Estuary, 35°02'25.19"S, 23°59'33.60"E; 915 m. SAMC_A090137 (1 fragment): Southern margin, 203 km from Gouritsmond / 214 km off Goukou Estuary, 36°08'21.59"S, 22°23'39.59"E; 997 m. SAMC_A090138 (1 fragment): Southern margin, 35 km from Knysna / 33 km off Goukamma Estuary, 34°21'01.79"S, 22°51'01.19"E; 87 m. SAMC_A090139 (1 fragment): Southern margin, 25 km from Jeffreys Bay / 20 km off Gamtoos Estuary, 34°04'46.20"S, 25°11'24.60"E; 69 m. SAM_H3185 (2 fragments): Eastern margin, 20 km from Cape Vidal / 23 km off St Lucia Estuary, 27°59'30.00"S, 32°40'47.99"E; 550 m. SAM_H3186 (2 fragments): Southern margin, 31 km from Port Alfred / 20 km off Kleinemond Estuary, 33°39'24.00"S, 27°11'42.00"E; 86 m. SAM_H3187 (1 fragment): Southern margin, 54 km from Port Edward / km off Mdumbi Estuary, 33°00'00.00"S, 30°27'11.99"E; 900 m. SAM_H3188 (2 fragments): Eastern margin, 17 km from Margate /off Boboyi Estuary, 30°53'24.00"S, 30°31'41.99"E; 850 m. SAM_H3189 (16 fragments): Eastern margin, 36 km off Port Shepstone / 49 km off Mtentu Estuary, 30°43'11.99"S, 30°48'47.99"E; 900 m. SAM_H3190 (14 fragment): Southern margin, 26 km from Kidds Beach / 27 km off Ncera Estuary, 33°19'36.00"S, 27°52'23.99"E; 760 m.

Description.

Corallum bushy. New branches formed from extra-tentacular budding at right angles from parent branch. Colonies reinforced by coenosteal bridges, which unite adjacent branches. Coenosteum with low and round granules. Branches cylindrical and straight, with circular to slightly elliptical (GCD:LCD = 1.0-1.4) corallites. Costae poorly developed, terminal corallites with slightly ridged C1-2.

Septa hexamerally arranged in three cycles according to the formula: S1 > S2 > S3. Upper region of all septa usually narrower than lower part. S1 slightly exsert, with straight and vertical axial margins. S21/3 the width of S1, also with straight and vertical margins. S3 rudimentary and bearing dentate axial margins. Fossa deep, usually filled with tabular endothecal dissepiments. Columella absent.

Distribution.

Regional: Southern to eastern margin of South Africa, Port Alfred extending towards Cape Vidal; 86-997 m. Elsewhere: Indonesia ( Cairns and Zibrowius 1997); Japan ( Yabe and Eguchi 1932a; Cairns 1994 a); New Zealand ( Cairns 1995); Antarctic and Sub-Antarctic regions (Eguchi 1965b; Cairns 1982); 100-760 m.

Remarks.

Goniocorella dumosa is known to contribute to the three-dimensional habitat structures in deep waters ( Cairns 1982, 1995; Le Goff-Vitry et al. 2004). It is distinctive from the other framework-building caryophylliids (e.g., Solenosmilia variabilis and Lophelia pertusa ) in asexually reproducing by extra-tentacular budding, having coenosteal bridges that reinforce the colony, and also by having prominent ridges on terminal corallites. The species was first reported from South Africa by Cairns and Keller (1993), a sub-sample from their South African record was also examined (SAM_H3190) in the present study.

Figures

Figure 3. A, B Caryophyllia (Caryophyllia) stellula (SAM _ H 1485, off Agulhas, 200 m) A calicular view B lateral view C, D Caryophyllia (Caryophyllia) valdiviae (SAM _ H 3108, off Durban, depth unknown) C calicular view D lateral view E, F Crispatotrochus cornu (UCT _ NAD 17 F, off Isipingo, 49 m) E calicular view F lateral view G, J Desmophyllum dianthus G, H (SAMC _ A 077974, off Paternoster, 440 m) G calicular view H lateral view I, J (BMNH. 1939.7.20.218, locality data unknown) I calicular view J lateral view K, L Desmophyllum pertusum (SAM _ H 1605, off Melkbosstrand, depth unknown) K calicular view L lateral view M, N Goniocorella dumosa (SAM _ H 3190, off Kidds Beach, 760 m) M calicular view N lateral view O, P Heterocyathus aequicostatus (SAMC _ A 073186, off Durban, 150 m) O calicular view P lateral view Scale bars: 10 mm (A-I, K-P); 100 mm (J).