Sympodium yonaguniensis, Benayahu & Ekins & Mcfadden, 2021
|
publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5072.4.2 |
|
publication LSID |
lsid:zoobank.org:pub:810459A8-AF47-47A9-B5B6-BE45659B3E7F |
|
DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5748822 |
|
persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/FB5F8935-FFCC-FFB8-FF0C-F9E83A07D6B9 |
|
treatment provided by |
Plazi |
|
scientific name |
Sympodium yonaguniensis |
| status |
sp. nov. |
Sympodium yonaguniensis View in CoL sp. n.
Fig. 14D View FIGURE 14 , Fig. 17 View FIGURE 17 , Fig. 18 View FIGURE 18
Material. Japan. Holotype. SMNHTAU_ Co _35117, Ryukyu Archipelago, Yonaguni Is., Umabanazaki Point, 8–12 m, 3 July, 2010, Coll. Y. Benayahu ; Paratypes. SMNHTAU_ Co _38228, same details, 11 fragments, SMNHTAU_ Co _35164 Ryukyu Archipelago, Yonaguni Is., West Point, 16–22 m, 5 July, 2010, 6 fragments, Coll. Y. Benayahu ; Taiwan. SMNHTAU_ Co _35754 Green Is. Iron Artificial Reef (22°38’33”N, 121°28’31”E), 20–26 m, 5 September 2012 GoogleMaps .
Description. The holotype is an encrusting and soft colony with irregular upper surface, measuring 5 x 32 mm and up to 3 mm thick ( Fig. 17A View FIGURE 17 ). Some polyps emerge individually and others in small groups of 3–5, forming low mounds up to 2–4 mm in diameter. Almost all the polyps are retracted and the few that are either partly or mostly expanded measure up to 2 mm, with tentacles up to 1 mm long. Most of the pinnules are retracted and only the few partly retracted ones can be seen under the dissecting microscope.
The sclerites of the holotype are ellipsoid platelets, abundant throughout the colony, measuring 0.012 –0.016 x 0.010 –0.012 mm in diameter ( Fig. 18A View FIGURE 18 ). They are composed of densely packed calcite rods whose tips provide a granular appearance to the sclerite surface ( Fig. 18B View FIGURE 18 ).
Color. The ethanol-preserved colony is light cream.
Living features. The live colonies present clusters of brown-gray expanded polyps over the reef substrate ( Fig. 14D View FIGURE 14 ).
Etymology. The species is named after Yonaguni Island, the type locality of the species.
Variation. The paratypes SMNHTAU_Co_38228 (Fig, 17B), SMNHTAU_Co_35164 and SMNHTAU_Co_ 35754 ( Figs. 17C, D View FIGURE 17 ), are smaller than the holotype, but otherwise resemble the holotype.
Remarks. The morphological features of the colony, specifically the relatively thick encrusting membrane and the polyps emerging in groups from low mounds, are considered to be diagnostic for this species. The ethanol-preserved holotype and paratypes (SMNHTAU_Co_35164, SMNHTAU_Co_35754) were sequenced and subsequently assigned to MOTU36 ( McFadden et al. 2019).
Distribution. Japan: Ryukyu Archipelago, Yonaguni Island; Taiwan: Green Island.
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.