Eunephthya celata, Mcfadden, Catherine S. & Van, Leen P., 2012

Mcfadden, Catherine S. & Van, Leen P., 2012, A revision of the soft coral genus, Eunephthya Verrill, 1869 (Anthozoa: Octocorallia: Nephtheidae), with a description of four new species from South Africa, Zootaxa 3485, pp. 1-25 : 7-11

Eunephthya celata , new species

Figures 3c, 4a, 5

Material examined. Holotype: RMNH Coel. 40177, South Africa, Algoa Bay, Bell Buoy 1, 33º58.927'S, 25º41.473'E, depth 17–22 m, coll. C.S. McFadden, 10 March 2008.

Description. The holotype is an arborescent colony, 5.6 cm tall with a well-demarcated stalk and wider polyparium (Fig. 4a). The stalk is 2.8 cm long and 0.6 cm in diameter, with numerous longitudinal furrows and transverse wrinkles. The polyparium is 2.8 cm tall and 2.0 cm in diameter at its widest point, and consists of a number of elongated lobes. Catkins bearing 10–15 polyps each are distributed over the surface of the lobes. The polyps are club-shaped and curved inwards with the oral surface facing the catkin axis; most have the tentacles contracted. In situ, the expanded colony can be seen to have a central stalk (“trunk”) with the catkin-bearing lobes arising at intervals as short branches (Fig. 3c).

FIGURE. 3. Live colonies; a, E. granulata n. sp., holotype, RMNH Coel. 40179; b, E. thyrsoidea RMNH Coel. 40185; c, E. celata n. sp., holotype RMNH Coel. 40177; d, E. ericius n. sp., holotype, RMNH Coel. 40176; e, E. susanae RMNH Coel. 40186.

Sclerites are distributed asymmetrically around the body of the polyp. The polyp’s convex abaxial surface is heavily armed with stout, unilaterally spinose spindles (Fig. 5a), 0.08–0.20 mm long, with complex tubercles. These sclerites are oriented with spines protruding outward. The concave adaxial surface of the polyp has transverse rows of flat spindles, 0.17–0.20 mm long, with complex tubercles (Fig. 5b). The bases of the tentacles have small spindles, 0.07–0.15 mm long, with complex tubercles, distally becoming flatter with fewer tubercles (Fig. 5c). The surface of the polyparium and stalk and the colony interior have small radiates and tuberculate spheroids, 0.03–0.07 mm long (Fig. 5d).

Color. In life, pale orange (Fig. 3c), fading to cream in alcohol. The sclerites are colorless.

Etymology. From the Latin celatus, meaning concealed or disguised, in reference to this species’ superficial resemblance to E. ericius n. sp.

Remarks. E. celata n. sp. closely resembles E. ericius n. sp. in colony growth form and color, with the most notable external difference between them being the longer stalk of E. celata n. sp. The polyp sclerites of these two species differ, however, with those of E. celata n. sp. being stout, unilaterally spinose spindles (Fig. 5a). In contrast, E. ericius n. sp. has longer, more slender, unilaterally spinose spindles with higher spines (Fig. 6a) as well as some leaf clubs (Fig. 6b). The two species differ (uncorrected p-distance) by 4.0% at mtMutS and 3.0% at COI, although they share identical 28S rDNA sequences.

FIGURE. 4. a, Eunephthya celata n. sp., holotype, RMNH Coel. 40177; b, Eunephthya ericius n. sp., holotype, RMNH Coel. 40176; c, E. granulata n. sp., holotype, RMNH Coel. 40179; d, E. shirleyae n. sp., holotype, RMNH Coel. 40180; e, E. shirleyae n. sp., paratype, RMNH Coel. 40181. Scale at a also applies to b, d–e; scale at c only applies to c.

FIGURE. 5. Eunephthya celata n. sp., holotype, RMNH Coel. 40177; a, unilaterally spinose spindles of abaxial surface of polyp; b, flat spindles of adaxial surface of polyp; c, tentacle sclerites; d, small radiates and tuberculate spheroids of stalk.

FIGURE. 6. Eunephthya ericius n. sp., holotype, RMNH Coel. 40176; a, unilaterally spinose spindles of abaxial surface of polyp; b, clubs of abaxial surface of polyp; c, flat spindles of adaxial surface of polyp; d, tentacle sclerites; e, small radiates and tuberculate spheroids of stalk.