Litophyton elfordensis, Van, 2020

Van Ofwegen, Leen P., 2020, The genus Litophyton Forskål, 1775 (Octocorallia: Alcyonacea: Nephtheidae) from Australia, Zootaxa 4764 (1), pp. 1-131 : 15

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4764.1.1
publication LSID	urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:53C5289A-156C-4AF1-B84A-73099A332C05
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3803562
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03BCB717-232F-FFDE-FF35-85F4FDB8FB79
treatment provided by	Carolina
scientific name	Litophyton elfordensis
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Litophyton elfordensis View in CoL sp. nov.

( Figs. 1 View FIGURE 1 c-f, 2d-h, 8-11)

Material examined. Holotype, NTM C193 , Queensland, Elford reef, 1 December 1976, coll. P. Alderslade ; paratypes: NTM C192, coll. P. Alderslade; NTM C4022, Queensland, Great Barrier Reef, Flinders Cay, depth 5-10 m, 24 November 1981, coll. Z. Dinesen; NTM C04135, Queensland, Great Barrier Reef, Davies reef, 10-15 m, 15 April 1981, coll. Z. Dinesen.

Description. The holotype NTM C193 is 5 cm high and 7 cm wide, the stalk is 3 cm high ( Fig. 1c View FIGURE 1 ). The polyps are up to 0.80 mm wide and high, and are grouped in spherical catkins.

Polyps. With irregular arrangement of sclerites in eight points ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 d-e). Abaxial and lateral point sclerites are spindles with simple tubercles, largest present abaxially, up to 0.40 mm long ( Fig. 8a View FIGURE 8 ), with a leafy distal part; towards the adaxial points the spindles become smaller ( Fig. 8b View FIGURE 8 ). Tentacles with curved scales up to 0.15 mm long ( Fig. 8c View FIGURE 8 ). Adaxial side of the polyp stalk with straight rods up to 0.10 mm long ( Fig. 8d View FIGURE 8 ). Supporting bundle composed of one or two spindles up to 2.00 mm long, with simple tubercles and a spiny tip projecting for a maximum distance of 0.40 mm ( Fig. 8e View FIGURE 8 ). Many polyp sclerites have an optically black inner core.

Surface layer top stalk. Capstans, derivatives of capstans, spindles and unilaterally spinose spindles ( Fig. 8 View FIGURE 8 f-h), with complex tubercles and long spines. The spindles are up to 1.40 mm long.

Surface layer base stalk. Capstans, derivatives of capstans, spindles and unilaterally spinose spindles, up to 0.60 mm long, with complex tubercles ( Figs 8i View FIGURE 8 ). The spines of the unilaterally spinose sclerites are very long.

Interior stalk. Branched spindles, mostly laterally, up to 2.00 mm long, with complex tubercles and pointed ends ( Fig. 8 View FIGURE 8 j-l).

Etymology. Named after the type locality.

Distribution. Great Barrier Reef: Elford reef, Flinders reef, Davies reef.

Remarks. This is the only species with projecting supporting bundle and leafy point spindles. The species shows a lot of variation regarding polyp armature ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 d-h) and interior stalk sclerites, and therefore the colonies ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 d-f) and sclerites ( Figs. 9-11 View FIGURE 9 View FIGURE 10 View FIGURE 11 ) of all paratypes are also presented. NTM C192 and NTM C4022 do not show branched internal spindles ( Figs. 9j View FIGURE 9 , 10g View FIGURE 10 ) but both specimens probably lack the base of the stalk ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 d-e).

The unilaterally spinose sclerites with long spines are very distinctive in L. elfordensis but are also present in the group I species L. dipensis sp. nov., L. myrmidonensis sp. nov., and L. graafae sp. nov. The differences between these four species are discussed with L. dipensis .